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GOD'S MONUMENT TO THE CHRISTIAN. 

See page 118. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART; 



OR, 



EYE-TEACHING IN THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL. 



By Rev. W. F. CRAFTS. 

["Callene Fisk."5 



WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY J. H. VINCENT, D.D 



AN APPENDIX FOPv PRIMARY- CLASS TEACHERS 

By MRS. W. F. CRAFTS. 

[Sara J?"Tima> t us.] 



**Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things cct of thy law.* 



NEW YORK: 
NELSON & PHILLIPS, 

CINCINNATI: HITCHCOCK & WALDEN. 

9INDAY-9CH10I. DEPARTMENT. 



^$. 






<&" 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by 

NELSON & PHILLIPS, 

in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 






TO MY FATHER, 

REV. F. A. CRAFTS, 

WHO LED ME TO CHRIST BOTH BY WHAT I HEARD FROM 
HIS LIPS, AND WHAT I &iTPIISr HIS LIFE, 

^>his Boob is lovingly ^Dedicated. 



INTRODUCTION". 



This volume on the power and method of "Eye-teaching," which I 
am requested to " introduce to the Sunday-school public," needs 
no words of explanation or compliment. Its pages speak for them- 
selves. The book is a defense of a most ancient method of teach- 
ing — so old that we cannot recall the time when men who thought 
and taught at all did not employ it. We find it in Eden, when 
God gave man his first command ; at Sinai, when Moses taught 
God's chosen people both law and gospel by complicated and im- 
pressive symbols ; in Israel, by the Hiddekel, and in Babylon, when 
holy prophets gave forth burning words from the invisible God ; in 
Galilee and in Judea, when He who " spake as never man spake" 
taught the thronging multitudes the love and power and sweetness 
that were to be found in his own divine Gospel. Prophets, priests, 
apostles, philosophers, reformers, and teachers of all ages and of 
every nation, have used it. To-day, in the primary school, the 
academy, college, on the popular rostrum, and in every court of 
justice, it is continually employed. 

This book is more than a defense. It is a guide-book to all the 
practical details of the art. If the author errs at all it is in the 
excess of examples which he furnishes. He illustrates the whole 
field of illustration. One is left in no doubt as to what he means by 
a principle or a definition. He also exposes many of the mistakes 
which enthusiasts in chalk have made, reminding the teacher that 
things thoroughly good may be sadly abused. 

The contribution of Miss Sara J. Timanus is not the least valuable 
part of this valuable hand-book. 

Let not those who use ' ' Through the Eye to the Heart " forget 
that after all it is the Spirit, and not alone the truth, that is to 
reach and regenerate and enrich the heart. The clear apprehension 
of truth does not necessarily bring the affections and the life into 
harmony with the truth. For this interior and divine and most 
essential work w T e stand in daily need, both as teachers and pupils, 
of the ' ' Holy Ghost sent down from heaven." Tor this gift — for 
this Teacher who shall u teach us all things"— let us look with the 
faith that is the " evidence of things not seen." J. H. Vincent. 

New York, March, 1873. 



PREFACE. 



An effort has been made to glean from standard Sabbath- 
school periodicals and the labors of prominent workers in 
convention, as well as from special contributors and my own 
experience, such hints upon Eye-Teaching and examples of its 
use as may be valuable to Sunday-school teachers. 

The exercises will be found to be brief and suggestive 
rather than elaborate and exhaustive, the desire being to 
stimulate thought and study rather than take their place. 

I wish to make due acknowledgment to " Object and Out- 
line Teaching" by Rev. Henry M'Cook, D.D. ; also to the 
current numbers of The Blackboard, edited by Samuel 
W. Clark, for some excellent lessons culled from them. 

I desire that all my friends who have so kindly contributed 
lessons may feel that my gratitude rests upon them. 

W. F. C. 

Haverhill, Mass. 



CONTENTS. 



Page 

Introduction , 5 

Preface 6 

Eye-Teaching in the Sunday-School 9 

Eye-Teaching is Philosophical 11 

Eye-Teaching is Scriptural 13 

Eye-Teaching Adapted to the Times 19 

"With whom should Eye-Teaching be Used ? 20 

"Who shallConduct Eye-Teaching ? 21 

"What shall give us Themes for Eye-Teaching? 22 

Divisions of Eye-Teaching 22 

1. Vivid Description and Allegories 23 

2. Stories vividly told 26 

3. Stories represented 29 

4. Religious Object Teaching 40 

5. Map Teaching 58 

6. Picture Teaching 60 

7. Blackboard Exercises 61 

The Slate 62 

Abuses 63 

Simple Blackboarding 64 

Materials wanted 68 

The Scholars' part in Blackboarding Exercises , , . 69 

Variety and Emphasis TO 

1. Motto Exercise 71 

2. Topic Exercise 75 

3. Initial Exercise 85 

4. Syllable Exercise 86 



8 CONTENTS. 

Pagb 

5. Word Exercise 88 

6. Phrase Exercise 94 

7. Table Exercise 98 

8. Acrostic Exercise 10-1 

9. Parallel and Contrast Exercise 107 

10. Cancelling Exercise 114 

11. Erasing Exercise Ill 

] 2. "Word-Symbol Exercise 118 

13. Map Exercise 128 

14. Outline Exercise 137 

Table of Symbols 185 

Appendix for Infant Class Teachers. 191 

Scriptural Index, prepared for the International Series, and 

other Exercises 220 

Alphabetical Index 222 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



Eye-Teaching in the Sunday-School. 

The great object of the Sunday-school is not to organize its 
members into a picnic club, or a library association, or a sing- 
ing-school, or a theological institute ; not merely to please, or 
discipline, or teach, as the end in view, but by means of all 
these to accomplish its great purpose, to present Christ to 

THE HEARTS OF THE SCHOOL. 

Christ is' to be the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and 
the ending, the first and the last, in Sunday-school work. 
He must be above all, and in all. and through all the 
exercises. 

A little child climbed up in her chair at home to preach to 
her little brothers and sisters. She turned to the right and 
said, " Jesus ; " then to the front and said, " Jesus ; " then to 
the left and said, "Jesus," and her sermon was ended. So in 
the Sunday-school we must begin and continue and end with 
u Jesus." 

Though a school can speak at concerts with the tongues of 
men and of angels, and though its blackboard be always at- 
tractive, its superintendent always pleasant, and its numbers 
large, yet if it only talks about Christ instead of talking 
Christ, if it only pleases without saving its scholars, all its 
machinery and outward success are but as u sounding brass and 
a tinkling cymbal." Like one of the English light-houses, the 
Sunday-school should have the double inscription, " To give 



10 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

light, to save life" A boy with a Testament was asked what 
ne knew about Jesus. He replied, " I haven't got to that 
yet." A Sunday-school which has not " got to that yet," 
amid its many schemes and plans and picnics, is false to its 
trust. 

To present Christ, then, is our object in Sunday-school 
work. How shall we vividly and savingly present him to the 
heart ? By universal consent the senses must usher truth to 
the soul. 

The Sunday-school works mainly through the two most in- 
fluential senses, sight and hearing. Hearing lacks vividness 
without sight ; sight lacks definiteness without hearing. It 
is well, therefore, that hearing and seeing should accompany 
each other. Joseph's brethren brought to their father, who 
had long mourned for Joseph as dead, this wonderful mes- 
sage : "Thus saith thy son Joseph, I am yet alive; come 
down unto me, tarry not." Jacob's heart fainted when he 
simply heard these words, for he believed them not; but "when 
he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the 
spirit of Jacob their father revived." The wagons would have 
meant nothing unless they had been preceded by the mes- 
sage; the message would have failed unless it had been fol- 
lowed by the wagons. This shows us how to use the eye and 
ear in the Sunday-school. Give what u is written" and then, 
by maps, pictures, objects, blackboard exercises, and stories, 
put it into " wagons " to help the imagination and the under- 
standing. The flowers and butterflies in " Joseph's garden " 
had no smile of hope, no promise of a resurrection, for Mary, 
when she came there at that early hour of Easter morning, 
" while it was yet dark" in her heart; but since the message 
has come, " The Lord is risen indeed," every flower and but- 
terfly has been to the bereaved an object-lesson of the resur- 
rection. Until the announcement of Christ's rising was heard, 
the grain gave no promise of a future life; but, after that 
Paul put the whole doctrine of the resurrection into the " seed 
that falls into the ground and dies" that it mav live again. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 11 

Thus hearing and seeing should work together. But while 
"Ear-Gate" has had a well-trodden path by constant use, 
" Eye-Gate " has rusted on its hinges in neglect. We wish 
to speak especially of the way to present Christ to the heart 
through this much-neglected " Eye-Gate." 

The visions by which God taught his truth were usually 
more impressive than his spoken messages. The words writ- 
ten in fire on the wall at Babylon conveyed God's warning to 
the King's heart more convincingly than spoken words would 
have done. Dr. Vincent found it hard to get his little boy to 
eat bread and butter until; one morning, after spreading a 
slice of bread, he cut it into bread-logs and piled it up in the 
shape of a house, and then very quickly " down came the 
house," and all was eaten ! 

Put the " bread of heaven " into object-lessons and visible 
illustrations, and the little hearts who find it hard to realize 
the truth they hear will eagerly receive it and understand it. 
Talk about the power of God's promises in general terms, and 
it may all be forgotten. Make the picture of a key on the 
blackboard and write on it " Promise," and then tell the story 
of the " key of promise" and Doubting Castle, and you will 
make the oldest and youngest hearers feel the preciousness 
and power of God's promises ; or, picture a bunch of keys of 
different sizes and write a promise on each one, and then you 
can tell those to whom you speak that God's promises fit 
every experience, of life and unlock every difficulty — and every 
hearer will grasp and keep the thought. 

Eye-Teaching is Philosophical. 

All of the senses seem to merge themselves in sight. As 
each of the four fingers is exactly opposite the thumb, so each 
of the other four senses seems to connect itself with sight. 
We say of food that we have been describing, '• Taste and 
see /" we say of the fragrance of a flower of which we have 
been speaking, " Smell and see ;" we say of some excellent 



12 THKOUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

singer whose voice we have eulogized, "Hear and see;" or 
of a gem we have called very smooth, "Feel and see" In a 
new sense, " It is all in your eye" Whether it be music or 
perfume, we say, " Come and see;" whether it be bread or 
stone, we say, " Try and see" Even of questions in our 
minds we say, "Let me see;" and if the matter be obscure, 
" I can't see it," This is because we think by images, by 
something we can see, or imagine that we see. It is a craving 
of the mind that makes " the likes " necessary in every kind 
of teaching. The unknown must be taught by likening it to 
something that is known ; the unseen must be represented by 
the seen. 

Modern primers teach the unknown word by placing it be- 
side the picture of the object it represents. The picture of a 
dog will aid the little scholar to remember the word "Dog." 
We used to say, " D stands for Dog ; " rather was it " Dog 
(the picture) stands for D." Half of our childhood knowl- 
edge comes in rhymes about the " likes" Rev. Dr. M'Cook 
gives a happy example of this in his work on " Object and 
Outline Teaching : " 

" As red as a cherrj r , as brisk as a bee, 
As brown as a berry, as tall as a tree, 
As sweet as a pink, as bitter as gall, 
As black as ink. as round as a ball," etc. 

Try to teach a child what " red " is without this implied or 
real object-teaching, with nothing but words to describe what 
it is, and the child will have as poor an idea of it as the blind 
man, who, after a long explanation of this color, concluded it 
must be " very much like the sound of a trumpet" Hold up 
the cherry to the child, and the lesson is learned in a moment. 
This same method follows us into a completer education. 
Maps, specimens, blackboards, slates, etc., are found even in 
the highest grades of teaching. Though a man have spoken 
his words never so eloquently, the hearers want him, if pos- 
sible, to have "something to show for it" A figure is more 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 13 

easily retained than an abstract truth. So deeply grounded 
is this fact in our nature that we think by figures and pictures. 
Indeed, language itself is fossil pictures, rather than " fossil 
poetry," as Emerson calls it. Letters were originally hie- 
roglyphics, and hieroglyphics are only pictures used as sym- 
bols. When we add something shown to something spoken, 
we only add a picture for the eye to a picture for the imag- 
ination. 

Eye-Teaching Scriptural. 

Dr. Vincent, in the preface to his recent work on "The 
Church School," says : " The good philanthropists of the last 
century, in digging that they might build a human fabric, 
laid bare an ancient and divine foundation." These words, 
spoken of the modern Sunday-school, are especially true of its 
eye-teaching. It is not " a new idea," but an " ancient and 
divine foundation " laid bare for us to build upon to-day. 

The Bible is full of object-lessons taught by God himself, 
by Christ, and by the inspired writers, with trees, stars, 
shields, girdles, fruits, birds, pictures, etc., as their texts and 
illustrations. The broken tree teaches the fate of the wicked, 
the withered tree that of the idle, the fruitful tree that of the 
righteous. The u empty vine " teaches us of the unfaithful, 
the vine of "wild grapes" of the wicked, the vine of "good 
fruit" of those who abide in Christ. The star represents the 
Messiah, also those who turn many to righteousness. The 
rent garment, the rotten girdle, the "naughty figs," etc., are 
used to represent wickedness and God's dealings with it. In 
fact, the Bible is an " illuminated missal," as Chapin calls it, 
in every page full of pictures and object-teaching. 

God himself is our precedent in this kind of instruction. 
Take, for instance, his teachings of Jeremiah, " What seest 
thou, Jeremiah?" (Jer. i, 11; xxiv, 3;) or his great object- 
lesson given to Peter on the housetop at Joppa, (Acts x, 9, 
etc.) Any one interested in following out this study may find 
other cases where God himself taught his truth by this method 



14 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

of eye-teaching in the following passages, many of which the 
teacher can adapt to his own use : 

Jer. xiii, 1-11, The marred girdle; xviii, 1-6, The potter's vessel; xix, 
1-11, The broken bottle ; xxvii, 1-11, Bonds and yokes; xliii, 8-10, Stones 
in the clay; li, 63, 64. The stone and the book; Ezek. iv, 1-8, Black- 
board exercise on a tile ; v, The hair and the punishment of wrong; xxxvii, 
1-14, Dry bones; xxxvii, 15-28, Sticks; xlvii, 1-12, Waters; Dan. ii, 31- 
45, The great image ; Gen. ii, 16, 17, Teaching the knowledge of good and 
evil by means of commands associated with a tree; Jonah iv, 4-11, God's 
pity for the wicked taught with a gourd ; Gen. xxii, 1-14, A dramatic ob- 
ject-lesson to teach trust in God. 

The illustrations of eye-teaching in the life of our " Great 
Teacher" are no less abundant. Wayside wells, mountain 
lilies, flying clouds, vineyards, harvest-fields, every thing that- 
met his eye, was turned into Gospel, as Midas turned every 
thing he touched into gold. He even caused a tree to wither 
away to use it as an object-lesson for his disciples ! Beecher 
says of this act and others of his object-lessons : 

" As to his condemning the tree, it was not a judicial sen- 
tence. We are not to suppose that our Saviour summoned 
the tree into judgment, and argued upon it as if it were a moral 
being under condemnation or under penalty. No ; the whole 
plot and plan of the ancient mode of teaching forbids that in- 
terpretation of it. It is but an acted parable. And this is 
an important thought, because in many instances in Christ's 
life the same mode of teaching was resorted to. 

" For example, when he cleansed the temple, undoubtedly 
the whole act was a parabolic act. He drove out the cattle ; 
he overturned the money-changers' tables ; he commanded 
those that had doves to take them thence. And the whole 
was not a mere formal attempt at the reformation of the ad- 
ministration of the temple, but a series of acts which indicated 
the purification of religion — the change that was going on. 
And, as usual, it was a kind of parabolic action. As a parable 
is a picture in words, conveying not a moral lesson— not 
a truth narrated — but simply an artificial picture, drawn 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 15 

for the sake of certain moral results which were to flow from 
it, so certain of Christ's actions were dramatic. They were, 
as it were, a momentary drama, enacted for the sake of the 
truth that they would convey. The most impressive one of 
all these is the Transfiguration, in which, with Peter, James, 
and John, he went to the mountain, where, while he was 
praying, they fell asleep. When they awoke they saw two 
angelic, or celestial personages, standing and talking with 
him. And his countenance was changed. Then they com- 
muned w r ith him concerning his coming death. The whole 
was to those disciples a picture of the event. It was not so 
much a prophetic representation to interpret it to them as a 
pictorial representation to fortify their minds, so that when 
their earthly hopes, which were centered in him, should 
be dashed, they would be bold, and maintain faith in him. 
It was a kind of enacted celestial parable, or picture, or 
tableau. 

" So here, when going in the morning to Jerusalem, Jesus 
saw the fig-tree and observed that it was in full leaf. Evi- 
dently it was a prematurely early one. And why should he 
go to see if there were figs upon it ? Because sometimes a 
tree bore winter figs, which became ripe in early spring ; and 
perhaps he might have expected that there would be some on 
that one which he might glean. But when he came to it, and 
found that there were no figs, but leaves only, he said, ' Let 
no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever, and let no man 
eat fruit of thee.' 

" That this was said in a very impressive manner is evident 
by the fact that when, the day after, the disciples returned 
that way, they remembered the occurrence, and called his at- 
tention to the tree. Doubtless he designed that this should 
be a very solemn instruction to them. 

" But what was the instruction ? They were every day going 
backward and forward to and from Jerusalem. There he went 
into the sacred precinct, or into the part of it w T hich was Herod's 
great porch — the Basilica, as it was called. There he used to 



16 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

teach the people. All around about him were the insignia 
of Jewish worship, and his very business was to expose the 
superficialities of life in these things. He was, from day to 
day, attempting to carry them back to the reality of a relig- 
ious life, to a deeper moral tone, to a more earnest conscien- 
tiousness. It was his business to reprehend the self-conceit 
and moral complacency which passed itself off upon mere 
superficial observers. And here was an opportunity. Here 
happened to be, of all the trees that stood in the road on that 
early spring day, one that had come into full leaf. But when 
he went up to it he found no fruit on it, but leaves only — 
nothing but leaves. It was just exactly like those over the 
other side. All of them were full of leaves, but not one of 
them — neither priest, nor scribe, nor Pharisee, nor Sadducee 
— bore any fruit. All of them were clothed with leaves, but 
none of them were fruitful. Here was a symbol, here was an 
opportunity of illustrating a fact by a parabolic action. By 
destroying that tree with a word he could impress upon his 
disciples that which would be a benefit to them in their teach- 
ings of men for ever after. And he did it." 

Study the sermon on the mount with a view of observing 
its eye-teaching. The Emancipation Proclamation has been 
so written that the shading of the letters forms a picture of 
President Lincoln, which seems to lie beneath the writing. So 
in this sermon on the mount, by the vividness of its local il- 
lustrations, we see a picture of Christ sitting on the mountain, 
and pointing with his finger to the objects in sight, as he draws 
from each its appropriate lesson ; and not only do we see the 
finger of Christ, but in and under the sermon we find a map 
of the scenery all about him, with its cities, its trees, its birds, 
its flowers, and even its weeds, sketched upon it. 

Notice the sermon in this light. Wishing to impress upon 
the disciples their great responsibility and wide influence, he 
points them to the city of Safed on the mountains near by, 
distinctly seen, as the sunlight gilded its walls, and then he 
says to the disciples, a Ye are the light of the world, a city 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 17 

that is set on a hill that cannot he hid." Matt, v, 14. Then 
he turns and calls the attention of the multitude to the narrow 
and wide gates of the city.* Through the narrow gate, which 
is called ' ; the needle's eye," are passing a few foot-passengers, 
and a camel now and then enters, but only by bowing down 
and leaving his burden outside the gate: on the other hand, 
through the large city gates flows the gulf stream of business 
and the eager multitude of tradesmen. Christ applies the 
scene to his sermon : " Enter ye in at the strait gate : for wide 
is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, 
and many there be which go in thereat : because strait is the 
gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few 
there be that find it." Matt, vii, 13, etc. Beware, O ye rich 
men ! for you can only enter the kingdom of heaven as the 
camel passes the needle's eye, by bowing at the gate, and leav- 
ing your burden behind. 

Then he seems to turn his eyes more to the natural objects 
about him, and translates their lessons to the disciples. The 
sparrows that sing among the olive-trees of the mountain at- 
tract his attention, and he points to them that he may teach 
the watchcare of Providence : u Are not five' sparrows sold 
for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before 
God ? Fear not therefore : ye are of more value than many 
sparrows." Luke xii, 6, 7. Then another flock of birds at- 
tracts his attention, and he uses them to still further enforce 
this thought of God's care : " Consider the ravens : for they 
neither sow nor reap ; which neither have storehouse nor 
barn ; and God feedeth them : how much more are ye better 
than the fowls?" Luke xii, 24. Then he weaves the vines 
and trees, and also the thistles and thorns, of the mountain 
into a lesson of diligence in showing faith by works : " Ye 
shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of 
thorns or figs of thistles ? " The cloud that appears in sight 
also bears him a message : " And he said, When ye see a cloud 

* We use the familiar explanation of the " needle's eye," although there is 
division of opinion between this explanation and others. 



18 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a 
shower ; and so it is. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face 
of the sky and of the earth ; but how is it that ye do not dis- 
cern this time ? " — the spiritual truth of ray mission. Best of 
all, he impressed the lesson of God's personal watch en re, 
which he had taught by the sparrows and ravens, by turning 
to the beautiful white lilies of Palestine that bloomed abun- 
dantly about him, and saying : Consider the lilies ; observe 
them carefully ; take their lesson to heart ; read it over and 
over. Consider the lilies: how abundantly they grow, how 
prosperously they grow, how mysteriously they grow. Con- 
sider the beauty of the lilies : Solomon in all the glory of his 
royal white robe was not arrayed with such beauty as this 
snowy lily* Wherefore, if God so adorn the grass and flowers 
of the held, which quickly fade, and are cast with the dry straw 
and withered herbs and stubble into the oven for fuel, how 
much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith ! The 
sparrows are almost worthless, and yet God watches over 
their lives J the ravens have no storehouse, yet our Father 
provides their food; the lilies toil not, and yet the Father 
gives them raiment And shall not He who takes such care 
of the fowls in his yard and the plants in his garden much more 
clothe and care for you, who are the children of his fireside ? 
As the sibyl wrote her prophecies on leaves, so Jesus has 
written his truth on the lily blossom, the raven's wing, the 
ruby grape, the white grain, the passing cloud, the narrow 
and wide gates, the city of the hill-top, the water of the way- 
side well, and the fruit of the orchard. The Indians have a 
legend, mentioned in Hiawatha, that — 

" All the wild flowers of the forest, 

All the lilies of the prairie, 

When on earth they fade and perish, 

Blossom in the rainbow o'er us : 

'Tis the heaven of flowers you see there." 

Christ, on the other hand, took the heavenly rainbow of truth 
and put it into the "wild flowers" and "lilies" of earth. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 19 

Sandalphon, the angel of prayer, says the legend, 
"Gathers our pra} r ers as be stands, 
And they turn into flowers in his hands." 

The great Teacher shows us how we may take the flowers in 
our hands and turn them into prayers. 

Were it necessary, it might be interesting to show in this 
connection how the Tabernacle was a great school for object- 
lessons, each part of it teaching the people a word of high im- 
port. As the child in his primer sees the picture of a house, 
and learns the word "House" below it the more readily, so 
God showed the people a bloody altar, and w r rote under it that 
great word, "Atonement;" he showed them a laver of pure 
water, and taught them the word u Purity ; " he showed them 
a golden candlestick, and taught them "Light;" the lamb 
was a prophecy of " the Lamb of God ; " the vail, of Christ's 
flesh. God was teaching the unseen and eternal by the seen 
and temporal. These altars and lavers, etc., were but "figures 
of the true." The whole book of Hebrews teaches through 
these object-lessons. Christ himself was not only a sacrifice 
for us, but was also a grand visible lesson, illustrating to man 
how r the characteristics of God could be " made manifest 
in the flesh." God gave to men this privilege of seeing Christ 
in answer to that feeling that made it the intensest longing of 
the prophets and sweetest memory of the apostles to " see 
Jesus." The world desired to " behold the Lamb," unsatisfied, 
like Simeon, until it had " seen God's salvation." The Bible 
is the greatest text-book and store-house of object-lessons in 
the world. Every sacrifice and feast of the Old Testament, 
and every sacrament of the New, is an object-lesson. The Sab- 
bath is an object-lesson of creation, and also of heaven ; the 
rainbow after the flood, the moving pillar in the wilderness, 
and every vision of prophecy, are object-lessons. 

Eye-Teaching Adapted to the Times. 
We need only to refer to the increased amount of black- 
board work in our day-schools, to the larire number of ma<ra- 



20 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

zines and papers that have recently introduced illustrations 
into their heretofore unillustrated pages, to the inscriptions on 
rocks and fences, the great number of picture advertisements 
in our papers, and the increasing custom of illustrating lect- 
ures, to remind our readers that one marked characteristic 
of this age is an inclination to put things into the mind by a 
quick concentration on the eye. We must " discern the signs 
of the times" and keep up with them. We must study times 
and men. The advertising pages, which are epitomized photo- 
graphs of the day, and the " Bitters" on stones, " Buchu " on 
trees, and "Magic Oil" on every thing, notwithstanding their 
quackery, teach us that this age must be reached very much 
through the eye. 



With Whom should Eye-Teaching be Used? 

Not with the little children alone by any means, nor with 
the ignorant simply. Christ used it in teaching the rich and 
wise Nicodemus. He taught him the greatest truth that man 
can ever learn by reminding him of the serpent lifted up in 
the wilderness, and using that as an object-lesson to teach 
him of redemption and regeneration. Paul was not too old 
or learned, after he had graduated from " the feet of Gama- 
liel," to be taught by an object-lesson. "As we tarried [at 
Cesarea] there many days, there came down from Judea a 
certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he wns come unto 
us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, 
and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at 
Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle." Acts xxi, 
10, 11. God came to teach even the eloquent Peter, not ex- 
actly with outlines on a blackboard, but with " all manner 
of beasts in a sheet let down from heaven." The blackboard 
and object-lesson are as necessary in a school where there are 
many adults as in an infant-school. All feel the power of 
this God-given method of presenting the truth to the heart. 



through the eye to the heart. 21 

Who shall Conduct Eye-Teaching? 

That which is to be given before the whole school should 
be conducted by the pastor, if he is the best man for such 
work, or by the superintendent, or by a selected teacher. Let 
the best workman be selected whatever his position. One 
may be best in object-teaching, another in blackboard work. 
In the latter not only skill in using chalk is to be considered, 
but also and especially ability to talk the subject sweetly into 
the hearts of those that hear. One may design the exercises 
and talk about them, having another who is a better artist to 
do the mechanical work. If there is an artist in the school, 
enlist his talent for Christ. " God sends us an artist, and he 
immediately becomes a blackboardist," said an enthusiastic 
Sunday-school pastor to a new member. And the artist 
recognized the Master's call to labor, and his heart answered, 
" Here am I, Lord ; " and from that hour the Sunday-school 
was the fortunate possessor of consecrated ability, displayed 
in the matter of exquisitely beautiful blackboard illustrations 
done in colored crayons. " He spends the whole of every Sun- 
day afternoon in the exhaustive study of the lesson. When 
he has it all by heart, he makes a pencil sketch of the design 
of the picture that he means to furnish us with on the follow- 
ing Sunday. The first fresh hours of each morning of the 
week he gives to the work of drawing and coloring the large 
blackboard illustration so prized by our school ; and he adds 
the last loving, finishing touches to the whole on Sunday, just 
before bringing it up to the school." 

Usually a simple outline sketch or word exercise would be 
better than such a picture, but if God gives you an artist, use 
him. Why not have a picture for the school on the black- 
board as well as on the wall ? We cannot, however, empha- 
size too strongly the fact that object-lessons and blackboard 
exercises should, as a rule, be very simple, lest the means by 
which we teach shall draw the attention from the truth to be 
taught. When Moses and Elias, on the Mount of Transfig- 



22 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

nration, divided and diverted the attention of the apostles 
from Christ, they were removed from sight, and the apostles 
u saw no man save Jesus only." Let the object-lessons van- 
ish if they divert the eye from Jesus ; .let the blackboard fall, 
like Peter, James, and John, to the ground, if it stands be- 
tween the scholars' hearts and Christ. Amid all these helps 
let the Sunday-school " hear Him " above all other voices. 

What shall Give us Themes for Eye-Teaching ? 

Three things should usually have weight in selecting a map, 
story, or object-lesson, or in making a blackboard exercise : 
1. The lesson of the school or class; 2. The events of the 
day ; 3 The time of the year. While the lesson should usu- 
ally be the center of the eye-teaching, yet, at times, striking 
and special events of the day or the season of the year may 
suggest other themes that will be impressive. If there is a 
temperance excitement, exercises on temperance might for a 
day be better than an exercise on the subject of the lesson. 
So in time of flowers, fruits, or autumn leaves, the season 
rather than the lesson may give the eye-teacher his theme. 

Divisions of Eye-Teaching. 

Taking the subject in a comprehensive view, we make the 
following divisions : 

I. Yivid Description and Alle- 4. Syllable Exercise. 

gories. 5. Word Exercise. 

II. Stories Vividly Told. 6. Phrase Exercise. 

III. Stories Represented. - 7. Table Exercise. 

IV. Religious Object-Teaching. 8. Acrostic Exercise. 

V. Map-Teaching. 9. Parallel and Contrast Exercise. 

VI. Picture-Teaching. 10. Canceling Exercise. 

VII. Blackboard Exercises. 11. Erasing Exercise. 

1. Motto Exercise. 12. Word-Symbol Exercise. 

2. Topic Exercise. 13. Map Exercise. 

3. Initial Exercise. 14. Outline Exercise. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 23 

I. VIVID DESCRIPTION AND ALLEGORIES. 

The scenes of the Bible, if vividly described from a thor- 
ough knowledge and sympathy with the circumstances, form 
a picture, a drama, that may properly be classed as eye-teach- 
ing. If the teacher is talking about Paul on Mars' Hill, let 
the surrounding scenes be so described that the scholar can 
put himself in PauFs place and make the scene real. Let the 
doctrines of the Epicureans and Stoics be so distinctly de- 
scribed that the application of every sentence shall be felt. 
If the Good Samaritan be the subject, let the teachers make 
the scholars feel the very shadow of the rocks on that danger- 
ous way, and the moisture of the cloth with which the blood 
is wiped from the arms of the man left half dead. The Epis- 
tle to the Corinthians may be made as beautiful to the eye as 
a temple by a thorough understanding of the architecture of 
EphesuSj/rom which Paul wrote, and of Corinth, to which 
he wrote. 

In fact, whatever the lesson may be, if all the geographical 
and historical knowledge connected with it is clustered around 
it there will be a picturesqueness and vividness that will add 
greatly to its power. Take the following illustration of this 
kind of description on the subject of feeding the multitude : 

The incident has its lesson for the pews as well as its en- 
couragement for the pulpit. Christ might have scattered 
this heavenly manna, as of old, by the same miraculous power 
that multiplied it. He chose rather to use human agency, 
and "gave it to the disciples, and they gave it to the multi- 
tude." There was a great variety of tastes, talents, and dis- 
positions among the disciples ; but Christ used them all, not 
merely to distribute the bread, but also to impress its lesson. 
There was the loving John, the impulsive Peter, the doubting 
Thomas, the systematic Matthew, the law-loving James, and 
the others, each with some trait of character peculiarly his 
own. Sometimes, as I have thought of this incident, I have 
imagined the different feelings with which the disciples re- 



24 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

ceived the bread and thought of the miracle. John, as he 
took the loaves, would stand and look with his deep, loving 
eyes upon Jesus, almost forgetting the multitude as he gazed, 
" lost in wonder, love, and praise," upon his Master. Impul- 
sive Peter would seize the loaves eagerly and hurry about, 
scattering them hastily among the multitude, and, with his 
emphasis and love of prophecy, proclaiming on every hand 
that they saw the promise fulfilled, " He shall feed his flock 
like a shepherd." James, with his love of the old law, would 
remind the people, as he scattered the bread, that the same 
power that fed their fathers in the wilderness was feeding 
them on the shores of Galilee. Systematic Matthew would 
remind the people how greatly the loaves had been multiplied 
and how many had been fed ; while Thomas, as he took the 
bread from Jesus, would press his thumbs into the loaves that 
he might be assured he was not dreaming, and that he did 
not hold a phantom in his hand, meanwhile glancing cautiously 
at the Master, and whispering to his nearest friend, " What . 
manner of man is this ? " 

Christ used all these various talents to get the bread and 
its lesson to the multitude; and so to-day the bread which is 
given to you with Christ's blessing from the written Word, 
the Spirit, and the Gospel ministry, God expects you to 
scatter among the multitude in your daily walks, around 
your firesides, along your waysides, and in your places of 
business. 

" Give ye them to eat." 

The sermons of Rev. T. De Witt Talmage abound in ex- 
amples of vivid description of Bible scenes, and may profitably 
be studied by teachers as models in this respect. 

The plan of representing abstract truths in concrete forms, 
and personifying the ideal, so beautifully illustrated by the 
parables of our Lord, and also by the fables of JEsop and the 
allegories of Bunyan and others, may often be used to great 
advantage by the Sunday-school teacher. Dr. Eggleston once 
told a company of children of a house that a king had built 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 25 

with two beautiful windows, two wonderful servants, etc., to 
which that king sent his son, and the man who lived in the 
king's house refused to let him in ; in short, making the human 
body and soul an allegorical house, and describing it in such 
a way that the children could surmise, before he finished the 
description, that he was talking of them and Christ's coming 
for admittance to their hearts. 

Gifts from a Casket. — [Tins exercise, contributed by 
Rev. W. E. Huntington, shows very well how abstract truth 
mny be presented in an attractive verbal form.] A speaker 
addressing a body of children desires to talk of some of the 
virtues and graces that should adorn character. Let him 
tell the children he has some gifts to distribute to them. He 
has a ring for each finger on both hands. Then, holding up 
the first finger of his left hand, let him call the ring for that 
finger Obedience, for example, and ask the children to repeat 
the word in unison. A story may be told illustrative of this 
virtue. And so on for each finger of both hands. This list 
may be used for the rings : Obedience, Truthfulness, Cour- 
tesy, Kindness, Cheerfulness, Humility, Temperance, Love. 
Calling these virtues rings, and slipping them upon their 
fingers, in imagination, will prove to be the best way of fasten- 
ing the lessons to be taught upon the memories of children. 
Their attention may be held more closely by frequently ask- 
ing them to repeat the names of the rings in concert, follow- 
ing the order in which they have been given. Then, as they 
will want to show these gifts to their friends, they must 
have' sandals upon their feet. Call these sandals Courage. 
Let them repeat this word in a full, clear voice. Show how 
without these sandals it would be useless to try to wear 
some of the rings — Obedience and Temperance, for instance. 
Then give them a girdle of Christlikeness, showing how, 
as a girdle binds the garments closely about one, that he 
may run or work well, so Christlikeness is a comprehensive 
quality of character that will enable us to live well. Lastly, 



26 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

place the crown of Faith upon their heads. Speak of faith as 
the highest ornament of character. It links us to God, and 
therefore ought to be placed above all others, as a crowning 
grace. Then let the names of the rings, of the sandals, of the 
girdle, of the crown, be repeated in concert, and the speaker 
may close by telling his audience of little hearers that these 
ornaments are of finer stuff than silver or gold, and will 
not wear out nor tarnish by wearing them every day, but 
will only grow brighter by use, and that they come from 
God's casket of jewels — the Bible.* 

II. STORIES VIVIDLY TOLD. 

The great teachers of the race are those who have clothed 
truth in stories of some kind. iEsop, Bunyan, Beecher, 
Spurgeon, and a host of others, are examples of this class. 
A man gave to Christ, as he thought, a troublesome question, 
" Who is my neighbor ? " It was answered vividly with the 
story of the good Samaritan. 

Jews regarded with scorn the " publicans and sinners " 
that had accepted Christ. Jesus taught them their duty by 
. the prodigal's story. Ralph Wells writes : " I asked a young 
woman upon the street, ' What portion of the Scripture did 
you the most good?' She replied, 'That which does all 
men good, the parable of the prodigal son. It is so pleasant, 
so plain ! There stands the father with outstretched arms. 
It is wonderful, the love of Jesus Christ for the sinner !' ' 
Stories vividly told, put on as a garment, are a part of eye- 
teaching. The teacher should be amply supplied with them. 
" Where will you go to-day ?" said a mother to her little 

* The author has heard the writer of the above form a group of allegorical 
statuary of the virtues: Valor, as a true soldier, first set up, and then 
Knowledge, as a true scholar; Temperance, as a man of strength and health 
and manliness ; and so, following with Patience, Brotherly-Kindness, Faith, 
and Love, making them seem like a group of statues upon the platform 
around him as he described their characteristics, and giving some incident 
illustrative of each one after describing: it 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 27 

girl, " to Aunt Mary's or Aunt Jane's ?" She replied, " I will 
go to see Aunt Jane, for she always has plenty of ginger 
snaps and keeps them on the lowest shelf." The teacher 
should have plenty of stories and " keep them on the low- 
est shelf," so that children can understand them ; a note-book 
and pencil always with him and a scrap-book at home will 
easily gather the " snaps." 

This is good advice from a teacher: "Use the pen- 
cil. It is easy to carry. It aids the memory. It catches 
and keeps a thousand flitting thoughts. Carry a small 
blank book. If you see a fact or think a thought that 
may be of any possible use in the future take note of 
it. You may not now see of what service it can be, but 
w T hen interested in a lesson you may glance over the pen- 
ciled jottings and find one, two, ten helpful illustrations 
or allusions, the worth of which, in the exposition of 
your subject, may be invaluable. One fact a day thus 
taken into captivity will register three hundred and sixty- 
five a year — so many servitors in your work. Use the 
pencil." 

Henry Clay Trumbull writes these excellent words about 
telling Bible stories vividly : " It has been urged by some 
earnest Sunday-school writer that children should never be 
trapped into hearing a Bible story, by its recital in homely 
language, as if it were from another source than the Book of 
God. But there are two sides to even that question. If a 
child is disinclined to hear Bible stories, it is not fair to as- 
sume you are telling him something else when he is sure to 
find at the close that you have palmed off one of the obnox- 
ious narratives in another garb. On the other hand, it is em- 
inently desirable to so clothe the Bible history to children as 
to give to the persons and incidents thereof a naturalness 
and reality that is not secured to little folks through the 
somewhat obsolete forms of our common English version. 
What would oe wrong for purposes of deception is quite 
proper for the purpose of elucidation. 



•• 






28 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

" An incident in my own experience confirms my opinion on 
this point. I well recall the time when I had far more rever- 
ence for than understanding of the Bible. Scripture charac- 
ters were to me not only mythical but unintelligible. The 
difference between Genesis and Euroclydon was by no means 
clear to my mind. I did not know who Deuteronomy was, 
nor what was Jehoshaphat. The first dawn of clear day 
came in this way. My home was by the sea-side, where 
figures of sailor life were familiar to all. One afternoon a 
good man came to our Sabbath-school gathering, and, enter- 
ing the desk by request of the superintendent, commenced 
to tell a story. He described a sea-shore scene, with a ves- 
sel in the offing weighing anchor and loosing sail for a vov- 
age. Vividly, in word painting, he showed a boat putting 
off from the dock, bringing at the last moment a passenger 
for the trip, his clambering on to the dock, the start of the 
vessel, its progress, a gathering storm, danger on the deep, 
the fright of passengers and crew, a consultation, and the 
confession of the late-coming passenger that he was a fugi- 
tive pursued of God for his sin, hence the storm and the peril 
to all. O how well I remember the new light that burst into 
my mind when I then recognized the hitherto unreal story of 
Jonah as a living verity ! I felt as did the boy who at last 
saw Lafayette through the carriage window, and called out 
in amazement, ' Why, he's only a man ! ' ' Jonah ' had been 
Jonah to me until that hour. Now he was a man. c Joppa ' 
had b^en Joppa. Now it was a sea-port town. My little 
brain was almost bewildered with the discovery that the 
Bible had something in it that I could understand; but the 
vail of mystery that had enwrapped it until then went over- 
board with Jonah when that Sunday-school speaker had him 
thrown into the sea in the story. The entrance of God's 
words gave me light just as soon as those words were so 
stated that they could enter my child-mind. I am confident that 
I should not have been so profited at that time had the nar- 
rator announced in commencing that he was to tell us a Bible 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 29 

story. His course may, I think, be safely commended to 
many a teacher of the young. 

"At the Newsboys' Lodging House in New York, ten years 
agOj I heard Mr. Tracy, the then Superintendent, entrap, as 
some might call it, his motley audience into hearing a Bible 
story when they would not have listened quietly to his rev- 
erent reading of the sacred narrative. Commencing the par- 
able of the prodigal son, he told it in what would have seemed 
slang phrase to others, but in language which was really the 
vernacular of those boys. He held their fixed attention as he 
proceeded, and when their interest was most intense he said 
suddenly : 

" But, boys, this story is all written out in a book I have 
here. Let me read you the rest of it.' And he opened the 
Bible and continued the narration, reading and explaining 
or translating by turn. Who shall say he was irreverent, or 
caused his hearers to be ? " 



III. — STORIES REPRESENTED. 

Stories that are read may sometimes be a little vivified by 
using or showing something mentioned in the story. In tell- 
ing the story of Joseph when he sent the message to Jacob, 
a piece of brown paper (which will represent parchment) 
may be cut into a foot square and rolled up as a Jewish 
scroll, with this letter written upon it, to be read after the 
scroll is described and the circumstances narrated — Gen. 
xlv, 9, etc. : 

Egypt, 1706. 

Jacob Israel, — Thus saith thy son Joseph : I am yet 
alive. Come down tome; tarry not; and thou shalt be near 
to me, and I will nourish thee. 

Joseph, Lord of all Egypt. 

This letter should be written with the lines slanting very 
much, as the slant in Jewish letters indicates love. 



30 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

With this story of Joseph the passage from Revelation 
may be read : "Fear not : lam he that liveth and was dead, 
and behold, I am alive for evermore." This may be used to 
show that Joseph was not dead, although unseen ; so Chri-t 
is not dead, but " ever lives above." Other analogies may 
also be brought out — for example, the Lord is our Shepherd, 
and has also become a King, and we " shall not want." 

Childlike Christianity. — Another opportunity for this 
kind of teaching is afforded by Matt, xviii, 1-6. Superintend- 
ent Whittles, of New York, once took a child in his arms 
before the school, and read the verses above, and explained 
them, with the child itself as a living illustration that " in 
malice " we are to be children, and also in faith, trust, inno- 
cence, and love. 

The Saw of Contention. — Show a small saw; or the 
outline of a saw may be drawn upon the blackboard, marked, 
"The Saw of Contention." Illustrate by the following: 

"O Frank! come and see how hot my saw gets when I 
rub it. When I draw it through the board awhile it's 'most 
hot enough to set fire to it." 

" That's the friction," said Frank, with all the superior 
wisdom of two years more than Eddie boasted. 

"Yes," said Sister Mary, who was passing; '-it's the fric- 
tion ; but do you know what it makes me think of? " 

"No, what?" asked both the boys at once. 

" Of two little boys who were quarreling over a trifle this 
morning, and the more they talked the hotter their tempers 
grew, until there was no knowing what might have happened 
if mother had not thrown cold water on the fir. bv sending 
them into separate rooms." 

The boys hung their heads, and Mary went on : 

" There is an old proverb which says, c The longer the 
saw of contention is drawn the hotter it grows.' " 

"I tell you what, Frank," said Eddie, " when we find our- 
selves getting angry, let's run out and use the saw Kriss 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 31 

Kringle brought me, and then we wont find time for the saw 
of contention." 

"The Past all Under the Blood/' — Another illustra- 
tion of this ela*s : — Take three pieces of muslin or paper, 
one black, another blood-red, and another white, and cut ^C/- 
them into three leaves of equal size. Put them into some «p 
small blank-book cover, and fasten them in so that the first 
leaf shall be black, the next red, the next white. Use it in 
telling and applying this incident. An old preacher was ac- 
customed to walk often in his garden with a little book in 
his hand. His friends wondered what there was about the 
book that made it so interesting. They found it had but 
three leaves, and nothing written or printed on either of 
them, yet his face changed from sadness to joy as he turned 
it over. The first page was perfectly black, [show it,] the 
next red, [show it,] the next white [show it.] At length he 
told them its meaning. The black represented, the guilty and 
sorrowful days of his sin, and no black was deep enough to 
picture it ; the red reminded him of the cleansing blood, 
and the white, of his heart cleansed by the blood. Notice 
especially that when you turn the second page the black is 
all under the red, so when the atonement is applied to our 
hearts " the past is all under the blood." " Though your sins 
be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow." 

The following story may also be used in this way, hav- 
ing a flower in the hand, that the "delicate veins" and 
" branches," and other points, may be shown at the appropri- 
ate time : 

The Atheist and the Flower. — When Napoleon 
Bonaparte was Emperor of France, he put a man by the 
name of Charney into prison. He thought Charney was an 
enemy of his government, and for that reason deprived him 
of his liberty. Charney was a learned and profound man, 
and as he walked to and fro in the small yard into which his 



32 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

prison opened he looked up to the heavens the work of 
God's fingers, and to the moon and stars which he ordained, 
and exclaimed, a All things come by chance ! " 

One day, while pacing his yard, he saw a tiny plant just 
breaking the ground near the wall. The sight of it caused 
a pleasant diversion of his thoughts. No other green thing 
was within his inclosure. He watched its growth every day. 
"How came it here?" was his natural inquiry. As it grew 
other queries were suggested. u How came these delicate 
little veins in its leaves? What made its proportions so per- 
fect in every part, each new branch taking its exact place on 
the parent stock, neither too near another, nor too much on 
one side? " 

In his loneliness the plant became the prisoner's teacher 
and his valued friend. When the flower began to unfold he 
was filled with delight. It was white, purple, and rose-col- 
ored, with a fine silvery fringe. Charney made a frame to 
support it, and did what his circumstances allowed to shel- 
ter it from pelting rains and violent winds. 

"All things come by chance," had been written by him 
upon the wall, just above where the flower grew. Its gentle 
reproof as it whispered, "There is One who made me so 
wonderfully beautiful, and he it is who keeps me alive," 
shamed the proud man's unbelief. He brushed the lying 
words from the wall, while his heart felt that " He who 
made all things is God." 

But God had a further blessing for the erring man through 
the humble flower. There was an Italian prisoner in the 
same yard whose little daughter was permitted to visit him. 
The girl was much pleased with Charney's love for his flower. 
She related what she saw to the wife of the jailer. The 
story of the prisoner and his flower passed from one to an- 
other, until it reached the ears of the amiable Empress 
Josephine. The Empress said, " The man who so devot- 
edly loves and tends a flower cannot be a bad man," so she 
persuaded the Emperor to set him at liberty. Thus the 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 33 

flower was to him like the angel that visited Peter's prison — 
his deliverer from the chains of his body and his soul. 
Charney carried his flower home, and carefully tended it in 
his own green-house. It had taught him to believe in a 
God, and had delivered him from prison. 

"All things bright and beautiful, 

All creatures, great and small, 
All things wise and wonderful, 

The Lord God made them all." 

" He Died for Me." — Make on the black-board the simple 
outline of a grave-stone and a grave. On the stone (really 
board, as the story shows, but it would appear the same as 
stone) write " HE DIED FOR ME." Tell the following 
story, and apply it to Christ's death for us : 

In the cemetery at Nashville, Tennessee, a stranger was 
seen planting a flower over a soldier's grave. When asked, 
" Was your son buried there?" 

" No," was the answer. 

" Your son in-law ?" " No." 

"A brother?" "No." 

"A relative?" "No." 

After a moment the stranger laid down a small board 
which he held in bis hand, and said: 

"Well, I will tell you. When the war broke out I was 
a farmer. I wanted to enlist, but I was poor, and had a wife 
and seven young children. I was drafted, had no money to 
hire a substitute, and so I made up my mind that I must 
leave my poor sickly wife and little children, and go and 
serve in the army. After I had got ready to go a young 
man whom I knew came to me and said, ' You have a big 
family, which your wife cannot take care of. I will* go for 
you.' He did go in my place, and in the battle of Chicka- 
mauga he was wounded, and taken to Nashville hospital. 
After a long sickness he died, and was buried here ; and 
ever since I have wanted -to come to Nashville and see his 

3 



34 THKOUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

grave ; and so I saved up all the spare money I could, and 
yesterday I came on, and to-day I found my dear friend's 
grave." 

With tears of gratitude running down his cheeks, he took 
up the small board and pressed it down into the ground in 
the place of a tombstone. Under the soldier's name were 
written these words: "He Died for me." 

The Bible. — Tell the following story, with a Bible at hand 
to show at the appropriate time. After the story explain 
how the Bible fulfills the dream : 

rMary was sleeping. An angel came and laid under her 
hand a beautiful book. Then he said softly, " This is the 
lamp to guide you in darkness, the curtain to cover you from 
danger, the word of promise to keep you safely while you 
sleep, and the sweet voice to talk with you when you are 
awake." Then the angel kissed her, and sped away on his 
wings of light to his home beyond the stars. Mary awoke. 
It was only a dream, yet it seemed as if an angel had really 
talked with her in her sleep ; and ever since she lias loved 
[taking up the Bible] her precious Bible as the word of 
God more than ever she loved it before, for the "beautiful 
book" which the angel laid under her hand was the Bible, 
and it is indeed a " guide," a " curtain," a protector, and a 
"sweet voice " to cheer us. 

The Key of Heaved. — Making on the black-board a 
number of keys large enough to receive the inscriptions indi- 
cated in the story below, or taking a bunch of keys in the 
hand to use as an object-lesson, the following popular alle- 
gory, by Dr. Vincent, can be visibly illustrated : 

I had a vision of the Holy City. Its walls rose before 
me strong and lofty, resplendent with the glory of ame- 
thyst and jacynth, of jaspeiv^and sapphire. The gate 
before which I stood was of "one pearl," and it shone 
with variegated colors — crimson and emerald, violet and 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 35 

orange. I noticed upon this gate a beautiful band and 
cross-band of pure and shining white, forming a cross as lofty 
and with arras as broad a*s the gate itself. Over the city 
hung a dome of golden light, throbbing ever and anon with 
fresh splendor, as though some new glory had been unfolded 
before the throne, and its reflection had been thrown upward 
from "the sea of glass mingled with fire." 

"That is the light they love," said my angel guide. 

Bursts of music, blending the softest notes of melody 
with the loudest thunders, greeted my ear. It was as though 
all the voices of the universe joined in a chorus of 
praise. 

" These," said my guide, " are the songs they sing." 

The atmosphere seemed burdened with the most fragrant 
odors, at once delicate, delicious, and exhilarating, so that, 
inhaling it, I was endowed with a double force of life. 

As the gate of the city opened I saw within. The inner 
glory dazzled my eyes. Shading them with my hand, that I 
might catch a glimpse of this wonderful world, I Saw troop- 
ing forth through the open gate a numberless multitude of 
children, leaping and singing in very excess of joy. So fair a 
picture I had never seen. The faces of the little ones were 
radiant. Their voices rang out in sweetest song. Then my 
guide said to me, "These are the little ones so dearly 
loved on earth, early removed from their earthly homes 
and made the children of heaven. They, with their guard- 
ian angels, do always behold the face of their Father in 
heaven." 

Then the gate closed. 

I also sought to enter the Holy City. 

"Hast thou the key?" inquired my guide. 

I answered, " I have no key." 

" There are many keys brought to this gate by which men 
seek to enter. Only one can turn the bolt. Alas, that so few 
bring it ! Alas, that so few out of the multitudes that seek 
ever enter this beautiful portal !" 



36 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

" Show me the cause of it, and give me the true key," I 
said. 

" Look !" 

Then I saw a company of men and women from the earth 
drawing nigh unto the glorious gate. As they paused for a 
time, scarcely knowing what next to do, or how to approach 
the shining portal, my guide led me to them and said, " In- 
spect the keys they bear." As the pilgrims were nothing 
loth to let me see what they held, I was able to examine 
many of the keys. On one I found the simple word a Re- 
ward." On another this inscription, a Rest." One read " Re- 
union," and the fourth, " Knowledge." Some bore the word 
u Happiness." 

" These," said my guide, " are specimens of the keys that 
most men carry up to the gates of heaven." So saying he 
bade the company proceed. 

Now I noticed, and with much surprise, that these keys all 
failed to turn the bolt ; and the look of disappointment on 
the faces of the rejected threw on the gate itself a deep and 
dismal shadow. 

" You see," said my guide, " that these expected heaven as 
a 'reward' for labor performed, or as a 'rest' from labor, or 
as a place of ' reunion ' with departed friends much loved, 
long lost. Others of them sought it through an almost idle 
curiosity, expecting that in heaven all problems would be 
solved and their knowledge increased ; while all reputed ' hap- 
piness ' the thing most to be desired and sought after by an 
immortal soul." 

"But does not God's word," I asked, "promise all these — 
rest, reward, reunion, knowledge, and happiness ? " 

" Very true," said the angel, " but merely as incidentals, not 
as essentials. The life and delight of heaven are not in 
these." 

" Who, then, can enter? " I inquired anxiously. 

Just then I saw one come to the gate, key in hand. 
Scarcely had his key touched the gate when it opened widely 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 37 

and the stranger stepped forward into the midst of the un- 
vailed and dazzling glory of the opened gate. 

Then the angel showed me the mystic key — the key of 
heaven. On the face of it I read the word Jesus, and on the 
stem I read the words with him — like him, and on the 
handle of it see him — serve him. 

So I learned that the love of Jesns, and the longing after 
Jesus, and likeness to Jesus constitute the true life and de- 
light of heaven ; that they alone are prepared for heaven 
who find in Christ their richest joy, who seek the gate be- 
cause he is beyond it, who press toward the throne because 
he is upon it. And I learned, moreover, that to all besides 
these the heaven of the Bible is but an idle dream, and will 
be a disappointment. 

Dear Sunday-school teacher, seek for the true love of Jesus . 
Christ ; fix the thought and love of your scholars upon him ; 
find him in all the lessons of the Word ; leave him with 
your class as the last thought and the best thought of every 
recitation, and thus hold in your own hand, and place in the 
hands of your pupils, the one only key that can open the 
gate of pearl to an immortal soul. 

"I'll Never Forget Thee." — There is a legend which ac- 
counts for the name of the forget-me-not, which may be told 
with the flower in the hand : 

It is said that two lovers were walking by the side of a 
river, when, by some mishap, the man's foot slipped and he fell 
into the water. As he could not swim, he sank once and again. 
There was no rope, or board, or boat by which the lady could 
help him, and she stood on the bank frantically wringing her 
hands. No other person was near enough to hear his cries 
for " Help !" As he was about to sink for the last time he 
looked toward the lady and threw a flower, which he still 
held in his hand, to her feet, saying, "Forget me not." Hav- 
ing had such a christening, the name has ever remained with 
the flower. Apply the story as follows : — So in early days 



&8 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

man walked with God in the garden, but by sin and disobe- 
dience he was separated from God, and was " far off by 
wicked works;" but God threw back the flowers in rich abun- 
dance at his feet, and cried, " Forget me not," and so I call 
all the flowers God's forget-me-nots. 

Taking a strawberry plant, illustrate this thought still 
further with the following story, showing briefly some of the 
wonders of its leaves and stems and fruit : 

.The Nearness of God. — A missionary visited a poor old 
woman living alone in a city attic, and whose scanty pittance 
of half a crown a week was scarcely sufficient for her bare 
subsistence. He observed in a broken tea-pot that stood at 
the window a strawberry plant growing. He remarked 
from time to time how it continued to grow, and with what 
care it was watched and tended. One day he said, "Your 
plant flourishes nicely ; you will soon have strawberries upon 
it." " O, sir," replied the woman, " it is not for the sake of 
the fruit that I prize it, but I am too poor to keep any living 
creature, and it is a great comfort to me to have that living 
plant, for I know it can only live by the power of God ; and 
as I see it live and grow from day to day, it tells me that 
God is near." 

The Fatal Hour. — An ocean steamer went down with all 
on board. A clock washed ashore which had stopped at 
eleven o'clock, showing the hour when the vessel sank. This 
story can be told, and then, looking to a clock or watch, the 
moment may be noted, with the remark, "Perhaps at this 
moment some one of you is deciding the question of your 
whole eternity." 

Conscience. — Draw the outline of an old-fashioned clock 
on the board, and tell the following story : 

Little Charley was one Sabbath left at home alone by his 
father and mother. Thev told him not to touch the old tall 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 39 

clock in the parlor, but to read his library book and remem- 
ber it was Sunday. When he had read his book all through 
it was so still that he could hear the old clock in the other 
room — " Tick, tick, tick." He thought some one must be 
talking in there, and peeped in through the door. Then it 
seemed as if the talking came from inside the clock — " Tick, 
tick, tick." He started to see about it, and then he re- 
membered that mother had told him not to touch the clock. 
But he said, "Til just peep in, and mother never will know 
it." He opened the door and touched the swinging pendu- 
lum with his hand. It stopped, and he was frightened. No 
more " Tick, tick." When mother came she asked him if he 
had touched the clock, and he said, "No." He felt very sad 
when he went to bed, and was afraid to go to sleep. Father 
had fixed the clock, and very soon he heard it, not saying 
"Tick, tick, tick," but this was what he thought he heard — 
"Lie-lie, lie-lie, lie-lie." He put a pillow over his head to 
keep out the sound. Soon he heard it again a little lower — 
"Lie-lie, lie-lie." He put the other pillow over his head. 
But soon he heard again, "Lie-lie, lie-lie." Then he said to 
himself, " I have done wrong ; I disobeyed mother, and I lied." 
After a little he went down and knelt at mother's knee, and 
asked her to forgive him and to pray that God would forgive 
him. When he got up from his knees he was happy, and 
went up to his little bed singing with joy. He lay down, 
and very soon he heard the old clock again, and this was 
what it said, "Truth-truth, truth-truth." It seemed almost 
to sing until he went to sleep. So, dear little folks, if you do 
wrong it will make you very sad ; and if you do right it will 
make you very happy. 

Still another exercise of this class is the 

Taylor Jug. — Take such a jug as is ordinarily used for 
strong drink, and break the bottom out ; then use it with this 
story : Dr. Tyng met an emigrant family going West. On 
one of the wagons there hung a jug, with the bottom knocked 



40 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

out. " What is that? " asked the doctor. " Why, it is my 
Taylor jug," said the man. "And what is a Taylor jug?" 
asked the doctor again. " I had a son in General Taylor's 
army in Mexico, and the General always told him to carry 
his whisky jug with a hole in the bottom ; and that's it. It 
is the best invention I ever met with for hard drinkers." 

The stories of the Bible can often be told with some East- 
ern or missionary relic to illustrate them, or something re- 
sembling objects mentioned in the accounts : the parable of 
the vineyard with a bunch of grapes, Joseph's dream with 
a handful of wheat, Stephen's death with a pile of stones, 
Joseph sold for twenty pieces of silver with a handful of 
coin, the tribute money scene with a piece of money, etc. A 
preacher, in speaking about the heathen, took a heathen god 
from his pocket and intensified his words by bringing the 
simple object into his story at the right time.* 

IV. RELIGIOUS OBJECT-TEACHING. 

We shall try to answer five questions that are often asked 
in regard to object-teaching in the Sunday-school : 1. What 
is religious object-teaching ? 2. Why should it be used ? 
3. When should it be used ? 4. Where shall we obtain ob- 
_.-ects ? and, 5. How shall we use them ? 

What is religious object-teaching ? We can most readily 
show what it is by comparing it with the well-known object- 
teaching of our best day-schools. 

In the day-school an object is presented to the eye — a leaf, 
a flower, a mineral, a fossil, or a bone — to be studied for its 
own sake, and the lesson is perfect only when every quality 

* Rev. J. S. Ostj-ander has prepared a box of " Oriental Block Models " 
that enable the teacher to give at once a cheap, accurate, and vivid repre- 
sentation, in their real forms, of the tabernacle, temple, Jewish house, 
wiue-press, and other specimens of Bible architecture. Any part of the 
Bible that has architectural references may be most effectively illustrated by 
ihis ingenious arrangement. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 41 

and attribute of the object is known. In the Sunday-school, 
on the other hand, the object, although it may be any of 
those mentioned above, is studied as a symbol, a suggestion, 
a picture of some thought or idea far above itself, and the 
lesson is perfect when the attention is secured by the object, 
and the one or two qualities that may illustrate the thought 
which is being presented are understood. 

We may illustrate the day-school object-teaching by a rec- 
itation at Dotheboy's Hall: 

This is the first class in English spelling and philosophy, 
Nickleby,' said Squeers, beckoning Nicholas to stand beside 
him. ' Now, then, where's the first boy ? ' 

" ' Please, sir, he's cleaning the back parlor window,' said 
the temporary head of the philosophical class. 

" ' So he is, to be sure,' rejoined Squeers. ' We go upon the 
practical mode of teaching, Nickleby ; the regular education 
system : c-1-e-a-n, clean, verb active, to make bright, to scour. 
W-i-n, win, d-e-r, der, winder, a casement. When the boy knows 
this out of a book he goes and does it. It's just the same prin- 
ciple as the use of the globes. Where's the second boy ? ' 

uc Please, sir, he's weeding the garden,' replied a small 
voice. 

" ' To be sure,' said Squeers, by no means disconcerted. c So 
he is. B-o-t, bot, t-i-n, tin, bottin, n-e-y, ney, bottinney, noun 
substantive, a knowledge of plants. When he has learned 
that bottinney means a knowledge of plants he goes and knows 
'em. That's our system, Nickleby.' " 

Although we should hardly give this as a model lesson, 
yet it illustrates the great characteristics of object-teaching 
in day-schools. The lesson is perfect when all the qualities of 
the weeds and the u winder " are ascertained. When the 
scholar "goes and knows 'em" they lead to nothing further. 
Religious object-teaching would lead us to look through 
the u winder " to something greater beyond ; it would point 
us below the roots and above the blossoms of the plants to 
the Hand that made them. 



42 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

The following will exactly illustrate the point we have just 
mentioned. A boy brought home to his father the teacher's 
report of his standing, which proved to be much below his 
usual mark. The father asked him why it was, and he replied 
that he didn't know. The father knew, however, for he 
had noticed yellow-covered novels lying about the house dur- 
ing the few days previous. He turned to his son and said, 
" Empty that basket full of apples upon the floor, and then go 
out and fill the basket half full of chips." 

The son, not suspecting any thing, obeyed. When he had 
brought the basket half full of chips the father said, "Now 
put back those apples into the basket." After half of them 
had been put in they began to roll off. "Put them all in; 
put them in," said the father sternly. 

" I cannot," was the reply. 

u Of course you cannot," said the father. " You said you 
did not know why you had fallen off in standing. Of course, 
you cannot fill your mind with useful knowledge after get- 
ting it half full of that yellow-covered trash you have been 
reading." 

The boy blushed and went away, but never afterward 
touched one of those novels. In this object-lesson it would 
have been a waste of time and an injury to the lesson to have 
had the boy notice any further qualities about chips than the 
fact that they occupied the room which belonged to more 
valuable articles. When the object shown in Sunday-school 
is so used as to make it more prominent than the truth to be 
taught, it is exalting a " chip " above a moral precept. As 
much as a flag is less than the loyalty it represents, so much 
less than the truth presented should the object appear. The 
highest quality of an object used in Sunday-school teaching 
is that it should be a perfect mirror, itself almost unnoticed, 
while reflecting some great idea. 

I passed a calm, still lake one starlight night, and beneath 
its motionless surface there seemed to be " new heavens," the 
stars were so perfectly reflected in its watery depths, the 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 43 

evening star shining brightest of all. So the religious object- 
lesson should reflect heavenly things, the Star of Bethlehem 
always being most prominent in its teachings and suggestions. 

2. Why should object-teaching be used in the Sunday-school ? 
For the answer to this question the reader is referred to the 
first pages of this book. 

3. When should object-lessons be used? (1.) Frequently, as 
the Saviour used them, lest they shall attract too much atten- 
tion because of their novelty, and because almost every les- 
son maybe made more interesting at some point by their use. 
(2.) Only when they may be introduced naturally to help the 
truth ; never as a " side exhibition " attached to the truth 
rather than an incidental illustration of it. 

The younger the scholars, the more frequently should ob- 
ject-lessons be used. 

But, 4. Where shall ice get object-lessons ? Generally, not 
from the books and magazines. The model exercises given in 
institutes, books, and papers should be read for the sugges- 
tions and principles they contain, instead of being literally 
followed. David in Goliath's hat or Saul's armor would not 
be more awkward than a teacher often becomes in trying to 
use, without modification, the object-lesson of another. 

The "How," not the " What," should be the question in 
our minds as we study the object-lessons of others. 

For finding object-lessons " the field is the world." The 
good teacher transforms every phase of life into an illustra- 
tion. As the delicate plate of the photographer catches a pict- 
ure of whatever is before it, so the teacher who has put his 
mind into the illustrative mood catches illustrations from every 
passing event. 

Briefly and rapidly it may be shown how fertile in object- 
lessons are the fields in which we all walk, how abundant are 
the lessons within " arm's length " of every day life. Sitting 
in my study this very afternoon, let me see how many ob- 
ject-lessons may be found without leaving the room: First, 
I will search myself. In my breast pocket I find a letter 



44 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

from one of our Sunday-school editors promising me a sum 
of money. The promise would be of no value unless it had 
a name I could trust signed to it. This letter, then, may be 
used as an object-lesson to show why we trust in the prom- 
ises of the Bible : it is because the name of Jesus is signed 
to them. 

In the same pocket is my Berean Day-Book, with a space 
for every day in the year. The future days are blank, the 
past days not used as well as they should have been. 
This object will illustrate the Book of Remembrance, (see 
Outline Exercises.) In my vest pocket is a watch. It may 
be used as indicated in " Seed-Thought for Object Lessons." 
From my pocket I take a handful of coin. It may be used 
to illustrate the story of Joseph sold into slavery, of Christ 
sold by Judas, or any other incident of Bible history where 
money is mentioned. On this two cent -piece is the motto 
"In God we trust," a good object and text for a talk on 
God's care of our country. I take out my walllet. Here 
are some railroad tickets. The name of the superintendent 
signed to them gives me a passport from one place to another. 
So the name of Jesus gives us a passport to heaven. 

This counterfeit currency and this counterfeit bill also 
suggest lessons. Sinful pleasure promises to pay us joy " six 
months after a treaty of peace " between our consciences and 
sin. 

This life insurance receipt will illustrate the soul's in- 
surance of heavenly life. Then, this bunch of keys is an ex- 
cellent illustration of God's promises. Starting with the 
story of " The Key of Promise," I would say that every one 
of the promises is a key to lock in some treasure, or lock out 
some enemy, or unlock some store of heavenly wealth. This 
watch-key suggests the promise with which we " wind up " 
our trust every day, " As thy days so shall thy strength be." 
This trunk key represents the traveler's promise, " Lo, I am 
with you alway ; " this house key, " Thou wilt keep him in 
perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee ; " this church 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 45 

key, "They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength." 
This key to my post-office box may represent the promise of 
prayer, by which we receive God's messages, " Whatsoever 
ye shall ask in my name I will do it ; " this safe key, (if I had 
one,) " There is that scattereth and yet increaseth ; " this 
skeleton key that will unlock the church door, house door, 
bed-room door, and many others, the promises that apply to 
a great variety of cases : " The Lord will provide ; " " My 
grace is sufficient for thee." My body may be used as an 
object-lesson of God's wisdom, for we are all "wonderfully 
made ; " or it may be used allegorically, as in Eccles.^ii^ 

Turning now to my desk and its contents, this white paper 
is an object-lesson, (see illustration in " Seed-Thought for 
Object-Lessons.") This sheet of red blotting paper may il- 
lustrate the promise of the "crimson made white as wool." 
Formerly men could not whiten crimson rags ; from them 
therefore they must make paper of crimson or some other hue. 
But Christ can make the crimson stain as white as snow. 
Here is an ink bottle labeled "Ink," but the ink is no 
longer there. So some persons bear the label "Christian" 
when the Christlikeness has all disappeared. Here is my 
Bible, It maybe used as indicated in " Stories Represented." 
My pocket looking-glass, which I have just taken from a 
pigeon-hole, is cracked, and therefore makes a poor reflection, 
as our professedly Christian hearts, when not right in the 
sight of God, reflect Christ imperfectly. This photograph 
of Abraham Lincoln may be used as indicated in the "Seed- 
Thought for Object-Lessons." 

These four crackers, one in the shape of a diamond, another 
a cross, another a star, another a heart, given me by one of 
my little friends, were too sacred to eat, and so here they are 
in this pigeon-hole. In bringing them home the stamp of the 
name was accidentally broken out of the cross, and the 
heart, which had no name, was broken on one side. The 
star and diamond crackers were perfect. Let me try to 
get a sermon out of these by questioning my little friend, 



46 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

Alice, who happens to be in my study for a few minutes 
this afternoon. What are these ? u Crackers." What do 
you see on this star cracker ? " Dots." What else ? u Let- 
ters." What do you think the letters spell ? " The name 
of the man that made it." When do you think the name 
was stamped on it — when it was soft, or after it was baked ? 
" When it was soft." If they had tried to stamp it when 
it was hard, what would have happened? "They would, 
break it." [Put the cracker out of sight.] Whose name 
ought we to have written on our hearts? " Jesus's." When 
ought it to be written there — when we grow old, or when we 
are children ? " When we are children." When is it easiest 
to love God ? " When we are children." The Bible says 
if we are good we shall shine as the stars. [Show star 
cracker.] Now repeat with me, " Shine as the stars for ever 
and ever." Now, you see this cross cracker looks bad because 
the name is broken out. We must never lose the name of 
Jesus from our hearts. And this heart cracker has no name. 
Could we stamp a name on it now ? " No ; it would break." 
How sad that any heart should not have a Jesus in it ! 
Christ says that we shall be his in the day that he makes up 
his jewels. [Show diamond cracker.] Jesus loves those that 
he saves better than his crown or his throne. They are 
his jewels. [Incident of the mother of the Gracchi.] 

Here beside my desk is a large calla lily. For its use 
see " Seed-Thought for Object-Lessons." In the vase with 
it are some apple blossoms. With them I can illustrate the 
fostering care of God over children, bringing them up to 
manhood But these are severed from the tree and are fading. 
I might use thein to illustrate the fifteenth of John. Trailing 
over my bay window is an ivy which I might use with the 
same questions as the lesson on the Vine in u Seed-Thought 
for Object-Lessons." The plants in my hanging basket and 
flower pots can be used with the story of " The Atheist and 
the Flower " in " Stories Represented." 

These pictures on my wall — " Bible Trees," Belshazzar's 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 47 

Feast," "A Flower Scene," " The Key of Promise " — may be 
used for picture teaching; also, this portfolio of sacred pictures, 
cut from the illustrated papers of the day. I have not ex- 
hausted the list, but have said enough to show how abundant 
are the objects within reach of every teacher. 

Toby Veck listened to the chimes as to a living voice, 
and little Nell's friend heard whispers in the flames of his 
forge. Shakspeare heard Ariels in the breeze. To Byron 
"every mountain top had found a tongue." To Tennyson 
every tree is a " talking oak." To Longfellow, " the voice- 
less lips of flowers " are " living' preachers," Whittier says 
that " such music as the woods and streams sang in his ear 
he sang aloud." The Sunday-school teacher needs this "open 
eye and ear," that every bell and flame and mountain-top and 
tree and flower and stream may be interpreted, and their 
God-sent messages understood. Like the servant of the 
prophet, if our eyes were opened we should see the mount- 
ains and fields full of the messages of God. 

To the writers of the Bible the rolling year was full of 
object-lessons : seed, blooming flowers, harvests, withered 
leaves, "snow like morsels" — all these gave subjects for spir- 
itual teaching. So relics of history, the serpent in the wil- 
derness, the budding rod, the pillar of cloud and fire, the 
temple vessels, etc., gave them frequent object-lessons. 
They found in wayside walls, vineyards, kitchens, shops, 
and temples^ some object on which they could hang the 
truth. Like them, the teacher should find in the garden, the 
fields, and the home^ object-lessons for his work. For young 
scholars and infant departments especially objects are in- 
valuable. There should be a box or drawer somewhere in 
connection with the school in which missionary relics, historic 
trophies, and any object that can be used as an object-lesson, 
may be kept, new ones being constantly added. And yet the 
best object-lessons will be those that are fresh and suggested 
by the present need. 

5. How shall object-lessons be prepared and taught? In 



48 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

answering this most important question there are three 
suggestions for the preparation and four for the teaching : 

Preparation: (1.) " Search the Scriptures " by means of 
the Concordance and other helps for all the Scripture 
passages that may in any way be connected with the object. 

(2.) The attributes and uses of the object should be ascer- 
tained by a careful analysis. A teacher who fails to do this 
may be embarrassed and surprised by unexpected develop- 
ments at the time of teaching. A true story is told of a 
Roman Catholic priest, who some years ago entered a pulpit 
in Germany, carrying in his hand a walnut, his intention be- 
ing to use it as an illustration of what he was about to say. 
Holding up the little nut in full view of his crowded audi- 
ence, he began, in a loud and boasting tone, with, " My 
hearers, the shell of this nut is tasteless and valueless : that, 
my friends, was Calvin's Church. The skin of this fruit is 
nauseous, disagreeable, and worthless : that represents the 
Lutheran Church. And now I will show you the holy Ap- 
ostolic Church." Suiting his action to his words, he cracked 
the nut, and, lo and behold ! to his utter chagrin and discom- 
fiture the inside contents were perfectly decayed and rotten. 

(3.) Study the analogies between the object shown and the 
truth to be taught. In 1 Kings xxii, 11, 34, 35, we have the 
case of an object-lesson that sounded very well, but the 
analogy failed to hold good. A preacher, using hot and cold 
air as an illustration, said, " The more you heat the air in a 
receiver the more room there is to put in more air." An- 
other preacher announced as his text, u Thou makest my feet 
like hen's feet," and used the analogy of their clinging to 
the roost to teach the duty of clinging to the cross. Such 
mistakes may usually be avoided by preparing the lesson 
before attempting to teach it. 

Teaching: (1.) By means of careful questions get the 
scholars to mention the qualities of the object as far as they 
are to be used. A teacher should expect peculiar answers 
at times, and take them good-naturedly, without being discon- 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 49 

certed. A reverend gentleman was addressing a school re- 
cently, and was trying to enforce the idea that the hearts of the 
little ones were sinful and needed regulating. Taking his 
watch and holding it up, he said : "Now, here is my watch; 
suppose it don't keep good time — now goes too fast, and now 
too slow— what shall I do with it ? " " Sell it !" shouted a 
flaxen- headed youngster. 

(2.) Call the attention of the class to the Scripture passages, 
and have a part of them, at least, memorized. 

(3.) By questions and explanations make the analogies 
between the object and the truth clear, and then remove the 
object from sight. 

Hartley, in his "Pictorial Teaching," gives an amusing ex- 
ample of confounding truth with an illustration. A teacher 
was one day explaining to a class of girls the nature of faith, 
and by way of illustration pointed through the window to a 
boat which could be seen upon the river. " Look," said the 
teacher, " at that boat. You can see it, can you not ? " 
" Yes," said the scholars. " Well, if I were to tell you that 
there was a mutton pie in the boat under the seat, would 
you believe me?" "Certainly we should," they replied. 
" Well," said the teacher, " that is faith." A short time 
afterward the teacher was again talking to the children on a 
similar subject, and, asking the question, "What is faith?" 
was astonished to hear the reply, " Faith, teacher, is a mui- 
ton pie in a boat." 

(4.) Impress the truth deeply upon the heart, and always 
close with personal application and prayer. One should 
always be careful that the truth shall reach the scholar's 
thoughts more deeply than the object, the latter ever keep- 
ing its place as a forerunner simply, and crying, " The truth 
that cotneth after me is greater than I." * 

* For specimen object-lessons embodying these principles, see those of 
Miss Timanus in the Appendix. 

4 



f 



50 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

Seed - Thought for Object - Lessons. 
The Fan and Sieve. Luke iii, 1*1 ; xxii, 31. 

The sieve is used, of course, to sift out the good flour, and leave only the 
useless bran, and so the devil desires to sift out all that is good in us and 
leave only what is bad. The fan, in Eastern countries, on the other band, 
is used to fan away the chaff, and leave only pure wheat, (see Bible Dic- 
tionary,) and so Christ would purge us of " the chaff" of our natures and 
leave only "the wheat of our highest virtue." Satan can only " desire " to 
sift us ; Christ can only "pray for us " that we may come to his purging — 
the decision is our own. 

Having a fan and sieve, with these seed-thoughts an interesting object- 
lesson may be given. See also Psa. i, 4 ; Isa. i, 25. 

The Watch 

lias been used in various ways for object-lessons. There are three excellent 
lessons that may be taught with it: 1. The world shows evidence of a 
Creator and Preserver. Show the intricate machinery and the wonderful 
workings of the watch. Thfsi could not become so by chance or accident. 
Some one made fe tyom with a purpose. Find by questions that the watch 
would cease to tick if it were not wound up and cared for, and teach the 
lesson of God's preserving* care. 2. The heart must be right if we would 
have the life right. Show that it is of no use to fix the hands simply ; the 
main-spring must be right, and then the hands will keep right. So in us the 
relation of heart and hand. 3. We are immortal. This truth has been 
taught to very small children by a watch taken out of its case, and the chil- 
dren led to notice that the watch still ticks, although out of its case. Then, 
the case being put out of sight in one hat and the watch in another, they 
are led to notice that they can still hear the ticking, although it is unseen as 
well as separate from its ca^se. So the body is only the case of the soul, 
which can live after the separation by death. 

A Photograph 

may be used in this way : After general questions, bring out the fact that it 
; s made by the sunshine in the dark camera, with somebody before it. 
Afterward show that from the darkness of repentance, when the Holy 
Ghost shines upon our hearts and Christ stands before them, they come forth 
in the likeness of Christ. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 51 

Miss M. I. Hanson, Instructor in Object Teaching in the Massachusetts 
State Normal School at Salem, also the teacher of an infant class, has con- 
tributed the three following religious object-lessons for this work : 

1. Pure Hearts. 

I take for my objects three paper hearts, one perfectly white, another 
with blots of ink on it, a third nearly covered with ink. I get from the 
children the statements that one heart is white, or pure, the others have 
blots of ink on them ; then speak of their own hearts : are they like the 
pure white one, or have they blots on them ? Get the statement that their 
hearts have blots of sin on them; mention different sins (little wrong 
words, deeds, thoughts, and looks) winch make these blots on the heart ; 
then also that the more wicked the heart the blacker. TKen, going back to 
paper hearts, ask how to get the ink blots off. Children say, "By wash- 
ing;" then, speaking of their sin-blotted hearts, ask what will cleanse 
them; will water? Get the statement, "Blood of Jesus Christ." Then 
have written upon the blackboard these sentences: "We have blots of sin 
on our hearts ; v " The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from 
all sin." 

Now the heart is cleansed by the blood of Christ, does it seem like the 
pure white heart? What does the Bible say of those that have pure 
hearts? Write on the blackboard, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for," 
etc. Speak of appearing before God on the last day with a sin-blotted 
hearc, and, without daring to see him, hearing him say, "Depart," etc. Then 
speak of appearing before him with a heart cleansed by Jesus' blood, and 
looking upon him with joy unutterable as he says, " Come, ye blessed," etc. 
Then ask if any want their hearts cleansed ; if they know where to go for 
this wonderful blood that can take away sin. No man can give it. Chil- 
dren answer, "Pray for it." Ask if any would like to ask Christ now for his 
cleansing blood, then close with a prayer for pure hearts. 

2. Clean Hands. 

" Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? " " He that hath clean 
hands and a pure heart." 

I take for my object the hands of the children — tell them to stand and 
hold up their hands — get from them various uses of hands ; also draw from 
them the term "clean." as usually applied; then show that God calls those 
hands clean which are put to a good use. Have children mention numer- 
ous good things which their hands can do, and write them on the black- 
board ; then show that hands which look very clean to us may be very uu- 



OZ THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

clean in God's sight, because he knows whether they have been doing 
right or not. Then ask what God says of those who have clean hands. 
Have the verse repeated, and write it on the blackboard. 

3. The Tongue. — Text: James hi, 8; Mark x, 27. 

Lead the children to say we use our tougues to speak both good and 
wicked, kind and unkind words. To give an idea of control, refer to the 
wild caprices of a colt, how impossible it is to use him until he has been 
tamed. Tell the story of a boy whose tongue was always running into 
wicked speeches. It needed to be tamed. A colt cannot be tamed without 
a bridle, a tongue cannot be tamed without Christ's help. 

Who of you have promised yourselves not to say wrong words ever again ? 
Did you keep your promise ? No. Why not? Our tougues said the word 
before we knew it. So it seems that you need some one to watch and tame 
your tongues for you ; you do not seem able to do it yourselves. The Bible 
says you cannot do it yourselves. Let me read : (James iii, 8.) Who will 
help you? Can you do it then ? Let me read again from the Bible: (Mark 
x, 27.) Print the latter text upon the blackboard, and require the children 
to read. 

The Withered Leaf. 

Rev. Alfred Cookman preached his last sermon, with a withered leaf in his 
xiand as an object-lesson, on the text, " We all do fade as a leaf." By col- 
lecting, with the Concordance, all the passages in the Bible on the leaf, and 
ascertaining its natural history and attributes, many very excellent lessons 
may be drawn from it. 

The Magnet Lesson. 

Rev. E. P. Hammond gives a very effective lesson with the magnet, trying 
it first with an old spike, and finding it unable to draw it — illustrating the 
difficulty of moving those who have lived long in sin to love Christ. He 
then puts the magnet among a lot of tacks, which quickly fasten upon it, 
illustrating the readiness with which the children come to Jesus, and not 
only that, but also draw others by the love of Christ within them. Putting 
the magnet here again among the tacks, he shows how those tacks which 
adhere draw others and hold them. Many beautiful lessons may be drawn 
from the magnet by experiment and study. 

The Tine. John xv, 1-10. 
This has been effectively used by G. E. A. Moore, of St Louis, and others. 
A knife, opened, is extended to the vine to cut it. " Shall I cut it? " "No." 
" Why ? " " It would kill it." " Would it bear fruit if cut off? " " No." 
" No more shall we except we abide in Christ." 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 53 

The taking away of the nipped grapes that others may be larger, the kind- 
ness of purging, the destruction of the useless, the sap that gives the branches 
life as Christ gives us life, these and many other points may be brought 
out by the teacher, after studying the vine, the passage referred to and others 
regarding the "empty vine," "wild grapes," etc., and then questioning the 
scholars. 

The Lily. 

Take a large white lily in full bloom, and read, as you hold it before the 
school, Matt, vi, 28-33. Then ask the school to t; consider," (that is, ponder 
over and over again, as the original signifies,) to "consider the lilies," and 
learn three lessons : 1. A lesson to doubt and skepticism — " Consider the 
lilies how they grow," how mysteriously they grow. Thus critical skepti- 
cism, that will not believe anything it cannot understand, is rebuked. Show 
how " curiously and wonderfully made " are the lilies. 2. A lesson to 
human pride — " Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." 
Central Park is not as grand as Yosemite. The best wax bouquet is not 
equal to a garden. 3. A lesson to " little faith " — " Consider the lilies how 
prosperously they grow without toil or spinning, and shall not God much more 
care for us? " Find in the Concordance other references to the lily, and also 
ascertain peculiarities of Eastern lily from Bible Dictionary 

" A father giveth good HOW MUCH MORE WILL 

gifts to his children. 



'God clothes the lily 
of the field." - - - 



GOD Career US! 



Although we have not yet spoken about the blackboard, we insert the 
above as a companion exercise for the object-lesson on the lily. Generally 
the blackboard and objects should be used together. 

The Tares. A Bunch of Wheat with a Bunch op Weeds. Matt, xiii, 
24-30. Text, Matt, xiii, 30. 

Point: Now is the day of grace— afterward will be the time of reckoning. 

I. Comparison between wheat and tares. Let the teacher show some 
stalks of wheat and some worthless weeds, each with the roots. Children 
point to each kind, and give the name. 'Which has done some good work ? 
What will the wiieat do for people ? Give them life and strength. What 
good have the weeds done? Sometimes weeds make poison, which gives 
people much trouble. Do the wheat and the tares grow in the same or in 



54 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

different fields? The tares grow among the wheat. Upon which does 
God's sun shine the brightest? etc., etc. The whole subject maybe de- 
veloped in this line by the teacher or superintendent. (Selected.) 

The Dew-Drops and Raix-Deops. 

Take a bunch of flowers into the school with dew or rain drops upon 
them. Then tell these two stories: A little rain-drop the other day, before 
the rain, was looking down from the sky, and its little heart felt sad to see 
how withered and dry all the flowers and the grass seemed to be. Then it 
said, '• Though I am only a little drop, I will go down and kiss that weary 
and dusty blade of grass." So it came, and the grass looked up and smiled. 
Another drop, when it saw how much its brother had done, said, " Well, I'll 
go, too, and kiss that fading violet." It came, and the violet rejoiced. Then 
the other drops said, "Let us go too." And down they came, one after 
another, until there was a shower that made all the gardens laugh for joy. 
So our little words and deeds may make others happy. (C. J. L.) 

The following was given by Rev. E. L. Hyde, at a Band of Hope meeting, 
on the same object : " Children, what did you see on the grass this morn- 
ing that sparkled so ? " " Dew." Then get the children to tell what makt s 
clouds, snow-flakes, etc. Call the snow " The dew-drop's cousin" or, as a 
little child called it, "Rain all popped out white." Then, " What makes 
the engine go ? " " Steam." " What besides fire does it take to make 
steam ? " " Water." " Yes, and the water is made of a great many little 
drops. Each of them is a little fairy giant, and they say to each other, 
'Let's make it go,' and then they bend all their little shoulders against the 
sides of the boiler, and push, and you hear the sound, 's-s-s-sh,' and the 
wheels begin to roll, and away it goes. So each of you has power to do 
something in pushing for the right. The smallest can ' push a pound.' " 

Power of Prayer. 

A revolutionary sword may be used as an object-lesson. We keep it only 
as a curiosity to remember what it did ' ; in our fathers' days, in the times 
of old," but not as the sword of the Spirit; (this may be drawn on the 
board.) It should not hang up as a relic, reminding us of three thousand 
slain in one day at Pentecost, but unused at present. It still has the pen- 
tecostal temper in its blade. Or use some Continental currency as a contrast 
to God's promises, which are never at a discount, never out of date, never 
curiosities of a departed government, but always ; ' Yea and Amen in Christ 
Jesus." 

Renewed in Christ. 

Taking a bunch of old rags, and also some fine writing paper, use them 
with the following story from The Sunday-School Times, by Dr. Todd: 



&C6, 



'^- 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

The Queen was riding out in her grand carriage, the horses tost iig their 
plumes as if they felt themselves a little better than common horses, and the 
footmen all decked out in red, feeling that they had something royal about 
them. The Queen had always had every thing she wanted, and so was 
quite miserable because she could not think of a want to supply, or a new 
place to visit. 

At last she bethought her that they had just been building a new paper- 
mill a few miles out of the city. Now she had never seen a paper-mill, and 
so she determined to stop a little way off, there leave her carriage, and walk- 
in, not as a queen, but as an unknown, common lady. She went in alone, 
and told the owner she would like to see his mill. He was in a great hurry, 
and did not know that she was the Queen. But he said to himself, " I can 
gratify the curiosity of this lady, and add to her knowledge ; and though I 
am terribly hurried, yet I will do this kindness." He then showed her all 
tne machinery, how they bleach the rags and make them white ; how they 
grind them into pulp ; how they make sheets, and smooth them, and dry 
them, and make them beautiful. The Queen was astonished and delighted. 
She would now have something new to think about and talk about. 

Just as she was about leaving the mill she came to a room filled with 
old worn-out, dirty rags. At the door of this room was a great* multitude 
of poor, dirty men and women and children bringing old bags on their backs 
rilled with bits of rags and paper, parts of old newspapers, and the like, all 
exceedingly filthy. These were rag-pickers, who had picked these old 
things out of the streets and gutters of the great city. 

4i What do you do with all these vile things? " said the Queen. 

"Why, madam, I make paper out of them. To be sure, they are not very 
profitable stock, but I can use them, and it keeps these poor creatures 
in bread." 

11 Hut these rags I Why, sir, they are of all colors, and how do you make 
them white ? " 

"0, I have the power of taking out all the dirt and the old colors. You 
see that " scarlet ' and that " crimson,' yet I can make even scarlet and crim- 
son, the hardest colors, to remove and become white as snow." 

' ; Wonderful, wonderful! " said the Queen. 

She then took her leave, but the polite owner of the mill insisted on walk- 
ing and seeing her safe in her carriage. When she got in and bowed to 
him with a smile, and he saw all the grand establishment, he knew it was 
the Queen. 

"Well, well ! " said he, " she has learned something at any rate. I wish 
it may be a lesson in true religion." 

A few days after the Queen found lying upon her writing-desk a pile 
of the most beautiful polished paper she had ever seen. On each sheet were 



ii»*t 



56 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

the letters of her own name and her own likeness. How she did admire it ! 
She found, also, a note within, which she read. It ran thus : 

" Will my Queen be pleased to accept a specimen of my paper, with the 
assurance that every sheet was manufactured out of the contents of those 
dirty bags which she saw on the backs of the poor rag-pickers ? All the 
filth and the colors are washed out, and I trust the result is such as even a 
queen may admire. Will the Queen also allow me to say, that I have had 
many a good sermon preached to me in my mill? I can understand how 
our Lord Jesus Christ can take the poor heathen, the low, sinful creatures 
every-where, viler than the rags, and wash them and make them clean; and 
how, 'though their sins be as scarlet, he can make them whiter than snow; 
and though they be red like crimson, he can make them as wool.' And I 
can see that he can write his own name on their foreheads, as the Queen will 
find her name on each sheet of paper; and I can see how, as these filthy 
rags may go into the palace and be ever admired, some poor, vile sinners 
may be washed in the blood of the Lamb, and be received into the palace 
of the gre^t King in heaven. The Mill Owner.'' 

1 3^ Living Water.* 

The following may furnish suggestions to be used with a fountain or a 
glass of water if the circumstances mentioned cannot be realized: 

" Whosoever drinketh of this water " said Jesus, " shall thirst again ; but 
whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but 
the water that I shall give shall be in him a well of water springing up into 
everlasting rife." 

Here Christ represents the gift of the Spirit as ''living water," which 
satisfies our longings as nothing else can do. While at every well of earthly 
pleasure we must day after day draw again and again for a temporary grati- 
fication of our thirst for happiness, he who takes into his heart this "fount- 
ain of the indwelling Spirit" shall "never thirst" for other draughts, but 
"with joy shall he draw water out of the wells of salvation." And "every 
one that thirsteth may come to these waters " and be satisfied. "Ye weary 
and heavy laden " with long years of constant effort to draw up happiness 
from other wells, say to the Master to-day. "Give me of this water, that I 
thirst not, neither come hither to draw." And not only will the Spirit of God 
save us from the feverish "thirst" of human life, but he will also be in us "a 
well of water springing up into everlasting life." 

Yesterday I went for meditation to our beautiful Lindenwood Cemetery. 
After passing the gate T stopped a moment to look at the Soldiers' Monument, 
man's fitting tribute to the brave. But a few steps further on I paused in still 
gi eater admiration before a new monument — God y s monument to the Christian. 

* See Frontispiece. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 57 

Man's chisel never wrought so beautifully! Human hands never ar- 
ranged such diamonds and pearls in so stately a pillar of silver! 

The monument bore no name and no epitaph, but it stood in its matchless 
oeauty amid the tombstones and monuments as God's tribute to those 
whose " names are written in heaven." Many of you have seen it — the 
monument of ice through which the fountain unceasingly sends its water 
into the air. All through the winter the fountain has defied the cold and 
sparkled daily in the sun. Glorious picture of the true Christian 1 - What 
though the snows and frost of the world's coldness gather about him, there is 
" in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life " that cannot be 
frozen, and his joy and singing leap above all temptation and " rejoice ever- 
more." What though death with his chilly hand touch his body and make it 
icy with death, there is "in him a well of water springing up into everlasting 
life" and, like the fountain, rising triumphantly above the ice around it, the 
"living water" of our hearts rises to the better life: the fountain must rise 
as high as its source. Rude and playful boys stained the icy monument 
with the mud of their feet and marred it with their axes, but still the 
sparkling stream threw its jewels into the sunlight. Men may persecute 
and revile the Christian and speak all manner of evil against him, but above 
it all leaps the " living water" of his inward joy and shouts " Blessed" 

The aperture through which the water rose I saw filled up with a block 
of ice, and for a little time the stream was repressed ; but very soon it cut its 
way out, and rose with its triumphant joy into the air again. 

The grave may endeavor to bind down the Christian's spirit with its 
clods; the "living water that springs up into everlasting life" shall break 
through them and cry, " grave, where is thy victory ? " 

In this monument of ice and snow I saw God's sculpturing of the prayer, 
" Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow ; " God's chiseling of the 
promise, " Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow." 

And then, as I thought of the " everlasting life " and the " glorified 
bodies " of the saints in light, I saw the monument transfigured to a 
heavenly meaning, and heard a voice, the voice of my hope, saying, "Who 
are these in white robes, and whence came they?" And then I saw in it 
another picture of the overcomer made "a pillar in the temple of his God." 

If I should wish for any monument to rise in memory of my life besides 
that best of all monuments, " The good we have done," I should ask that in 
the purest marble such an ice monument should be represented, and, 
through it, and above it, should play an unfailing fountdn, and on the 
marble shomd be ctit: " The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well 
of water springing up into everlasting life." 



58 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

V. MAP TEACHING. 

Little need be said in regard to the use of maps, as they 
have been long and widely used in the Sunday-school. 

It would be an improvement, perhaps, to the present 
method of hanging maps, if they were all hung at the most 
central point for the eyes of the whole school, only one being 
unrolled at a time, that one, of course, being the one which 
gives the geography of the lesson. Besides this, every teacher 
should have a portable Atlas * for his own class. Besides their 
use for ordinary geographical reference, maps may he used 
for Bible lectures and reviews. In the latter case, by point- 
ing to the waters, mountains, and towns associated with the 
last three, or six, or twelve months' study, and asking ques- 
tions as to the events associated w4th these geographical 
points, and giving such explanations as may be required, the 
facts learned will be strongly impressed on the mind with 
the help of the eye. 

We give the following suggestions for a catechetical and 
descriptive Bible lecture, with the map of Palestine. Sub- 
ject : " From Dan to Beersheba." Show the position of " Dan 
and Beersheba," and also that the expression means the same 
in regard to Palestine as " from the Atlantic to the Pacific " 
in regard to the United States. Divide the school, two Sab- 
baths before the lecture, into three traveling parties, one of 
them to go from Beersheba to the Mediterranean coast, and 
then up the coast to Sidon, and across to Dan, studying 
all incidents of Bible history associated with any of the 
places through which they would pass, as Gaza, (Samson, 
Philip,) Joppa, (Peter,) Caesarea, (Peter, Paul, etc.,) Mount 
Carmel, (Elijah, Elisha,) Tyre, (Solomon,) Sarepta, (Jesus,) 
Sidon, Mount Hermon, Damascus, (Paul,) Dan. 

* The little pamphlet Atlas published by Nelson & Phillips is one of the 
very best in quality and variety, and yet is sold at a very low price. These 
same maps are bound into Whitney's Bible G-eography, which should be in 
every teacher's library as a help to map teaching. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 59 

The second party to go from Beersheba across to the Dead 
Sea, (notice Zoar, Sodom and Gomorrah, Edom, Moab, and 
Mount Pisgah overlooking the whole ;) then up the Jordan 
(notice its crossing by the Israelites, its waters parted by the 
prophet's mantle ; Jericho, a little way from its banks, whose 
walls fell, waters were healed, etc., the brook Jabbok that 
flows into it, Jacob's wrestling place) to the Sea of Gali- 
lee, and coast along its western shore, stopping at Gadara, 
(demoniac ;) then up to the continuation of the Jordan, 
through to the waters of Meromto CaBsarea Philippi, (Jesus,) 
and across to Dax 

The third party to go through the center of the country 
from Beersueba to Hebron, (Abraham,) to Bethlehem, 
(David, Ruth, Jesus,) to Jerusalem, (see Bible Dictionary, 
etc.,) to Mount of Olives, (Gethsemane, Ascension, David's re- 
treat, etc.,) to Bethany, (Lazarus, spikenard, etc.,) to Bethel, 
(Jacob, etc.,) to Gilgal, (Joshua,) to Shechem, (Jacob's well,) 
stopping to climb Mount Gerizim, (Samaritan temple, bless- 
ings and curses,) and Mount Ebal to Samaria, (God's deliv- 
erance, etc. ;) to Dothan, (Joseph,) to Mount Gilboa, (Saul, 
etc..) to Nain, (Jesus.) to Nazareth, (Jesus,) to Cana, (wine,) 
to Mount Tabor and Mount of Beatitudes ; then to the lower 
part of the Sea of Galilee, and up the eastern coast to Tiberias, 
(miracles,) Bethsaida, (miracles,) Chorazin, (curses ;) then 
across the sea, recalling the voyages of Christ and his apos- 
tles, (the two storms, two draughts of fishes, etc. ;) then across 
the country to Da^". 

Teachers and scholars having studied their Bibles and Bible 
Dictionaries, with their maps, and being prepared to make 
these three trips, with a knowledge of all the historical asso- 
ciations, the lecturer, with pictures, relics from the East, and 
incidents from books of travel, can make these journeys very 
interesting and instructive. A similar lecture can be made 
with the map of the Israelites' Journey, called " From Ra- 
meses to Jerusalem;*' and another on the map of the Journeys 
of St. Paul, called hi From Damascus to Rome." 



60 THKOUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

VI. PICTURE TEACHING. 

When our parlors are full of Bible pictures, and scarcely a 
scene in the Bible has not been represented by some master 
hand, it is strange that Bible pictures have not been used 
more extensively in Sunday-school teaching. If a school can 
afford it, the colored pictures on stiff card-board, that are 
published by our Sunday-School Unions, should be in its 
" Cabinet for Eye -Teaching /" but if there are not means to 
secure these, a great many pictures may be borrowed from 
the homes of those in the Church who have well-furnished 
walls. An infant-class teacher can make even a familiar pict- 
ure very useful in securing attention. If the lesson be 
about " Christ in the Manger," one of the many pictures of 
that scene will afford the best means of making the lesson 
clear. In almost every community pictures may be found 
of the leading events of Bible history.* 

Besides this, every teacher should have his own Picture 
Scrap Book. The illustrated papers will frequently give a 
picture that may be used some time to illustrate Bible truth. 
One teacher writes thus to the " Sunday-School Journal :" 

" I have a scrap-book in which I am collecting pictures 
illustrative of the Bible. I buy up every engraving of every 
sort by which any fact or custom of the Bible may be illus- 

* In the Bible House at New York a room has been fitted up, called the 
Sunday-School Exchange, in which may be found a reference library of all 
the best works published on the Sunday-school cause, which teachers are 
free to come and consult. All Sunday-school periodicals are also kept on 
file ; also a stock of pictures, maps, and objects suitable for illustrating the 
Bible have been collected, any of which the teacher may have the privilege 
of renting. 

One of the very best, and by far the oheapest, of helps for picture teaching 
is the " Bible Roll," by Samuel W. Clark, (Published by Nelson & Phillips.) 
It comprises twenty-five large views of the tabernacle, temple, Eastern man- 
ners, customs, etc. The costumes of the priests, the altars, tables, vails, 
and other parts of the great symbolic tabernacle, are clearly represented. A 
school cannot spend five dollars in pictures to bewer advantage than in se- 
curing this valuable collection. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 61 

trated. I find Nelson's cards of great value. Already ray 
scrap-book is an attraction to old and young. I hold an oc- 
casional 'tea-table talk' with my Sunday scholars as my 
guests, and the scrap-book makes the time fly. Several 
times I have taken it with me for use in my class. No 
trouble to c get the attention ' of my scholars." 

VII. THE BLACKBOARD. 

The blackboard excels the six other forms of eye teaching 
in convenience, availability, and cheapness. Description and 
stories require more time to reach the heart through the ear 
than the blackboard to reach it through the eye. Objects are 
shown but once, while the blackboard may be used again 
and again for an indefinite time. Pictures have one unchang- 
ing surface, while the blackboard gives opportunity for fresh 
and varied illustrations. Maps are purchased at considerable 
expense, and a school cannot usually supply itself with a suf- 
ficient number for thorough study of Bible Geography. 
Blackboard maps may present the towns, rivers, and mount- 
ains mentioned in the lesson and their vicinity more promi- 
nently than any published maps would do it. 

The general advantages of the Sunday-school blackboard 
are, 

1. To save time. Certain hymns of which there may be 
but few copies can be slowly taught to the school by repeti- 
tion ; write the words on the blackboard, and they are known 
at once. A contrast is to be expressed between good and evil, 
or between joy and sorrow. Half an hour would do it in 
spoken words ; put them in opposite colors or positions on 
the blackboard and the contrast is at once apparent. A 
wrong idea is to be presented and overthrown. How much 
a long argument may be condensed by writing the wrong 
idea upon the blackboard, and then destroying it with the 
eraser to make room for writing the truth, or by canceling it 
with the truth written over it ! 



62 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



2. To give variety, vividness, and clearness. A new 
motto, a new analysis, a neiv outline, greets us every Sab- 
bath. The ear having been taught during the study of the 
lesson, at its close the eye is given the same truth and the 
" dead bones live." A few bold letters or a distinct outline 
applied to the lesson at the close of its study, and it stands 
forth in stereoscopic clearness to the mind. 

3. To concentrate attention and thought. Rev. Dr. Vin- 
cent once illustrated the power of the chalk and blackboard 
to win attention by taking a crayon in his hand at a Sunday- 
school Institute and raising it toward the blackboard. The 
whole audience eagerly followed his hand, but he dropped it 
to his side, saying, " I am not going to write any thing ; I 
only wanted to show how quickly I could concentrate your 
attention by raising the chalk." 



THE SLATE. 

To the individual teacher the slate is as helpful as the 
blackboard to the pastor or superintendent. All that may 
be said of the advantages of the latter to the school may be 
said of the former in regard to the class. Every teacher who 
can write a plain hand, even though unskillful with the pen- 
cil, may use the slate with great profit. 

Nearly every exercise in this 
book may be used with a slate 
by each teacher in his class as 
appropriately as on the black- 
board for the whole school. 

Every scholar also should have 
a slate to bring a map of the 
scene of the lesson, written an- 
swers of questions given out 
the previous Sabbath by the 
superintendent or teacher, 
written epitomes of the home 




THKOUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 63 

readings or of the stories, in the lesson, a copy of the black- 
board exercise of the preceding Sabbath, or the analysis of 
the lesson for the day. 

The slate may be made as useful in Sunday-school as in 
day-school. The simplest outlines and a half dozen words 
written upon a slate by the teacher will fix the points of the 
lesson in the mind more quickly and vividly than any words, as 
shown by the foregoing illustration of the story of Zaccheus. 

ABUSES. 

Some things are too sacred for chalk or pencil; an out- 
line of Christ in the form of a man is one of these. Put 
away your chalk as you approach such " holy ground." 
Nor are such exercises to be commended as are chiefly re- 
markable for the skill of the artist, and lead us to say, "How 
fine ! " instead of u How true !" Generally the simplest outlines 
should be the highest attempts of blackboard delineation, and 
simple word exercises should be used far more frequently 
than outlines. 

One* who is w r ell known in the Sunday-school work writes 
these well-timed words on the abuse of the blackboard: "I 
am fully conscious, as all who have thoughtfully observed 
the course of this line of teaching, I think, must be, tbat it has 
been made the victim of most absurd exaggerations and 
complicated follies. Intended to be the simplest, the clear- 
est, and the most vivid of methods, it has been made by a 
large class of blackboard delineators a vehicle of the .nost 
extravagant imaginations and the most absurdly unimpress- 
ive exercises. AVhat I have always pleaded for in its use, 
and do now more than ever, is pith, point, clearness, concise- 
ness, the latter especially. Sensations are not the want of the 
hour. Common sense is the staple now as it ever has been." 

Rev. J. S. Ostrander gives similar cautions against abuses 
as follows : 

1. It must not be made a hobby. It has its important and 
* James H. Kellogg. 



64: THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

proper work, but may be abused. It is not every thing, any 
more than the organ, the maps, or the singing of the school. 
Here, then, first of all, we enter our protest against the black- 
board hobbyist. 

2. Do not attempt lengthy written exercises. Short texts, 
brief statements, concise analyses, will be more useful, as a 
general rule, than blackboards covered with writing which 
u darkeneth counsel by words." 

3. Never employ an aimless illustration. Never say of a 
pleasant conceit or diagram, " This would make a good 
blackboard exercise," for if it do not fix more deeply in the 
mind a truth, then it is useless and aimless. 

4. Extravagant elaboration should be avoided in picture or 
object illustration. Simplicity in drawing finds no critics; 
but to attempt perfection with chalk is a waste of time, and 
above the appreciation of the mass of children. 

5. Reject all personification, etc., which may so easily be- 
come mere comicalities. They are evil continually. Some 
have attempted to represent Satan, hell, the judgment, etc. 
This lowers the standard of truth, produces levity, nnd de- 
feats the object sought. No pencil or chalk sketch within 
the capacity of a blackboard can convey such an idea of 
those terrible facts as will justify the doubtful undertaking. 

6. Blackboard "exhibitions" should never appear when 
addressing children. Avoid all display ; seek ease in the use 
of crayons. The presence of the first, and the want of the 
latter, has spoiled many a good point, which was lost in the 
" exhibition of the blackboard." 

The following contribution on "Simple Blackboarding," by 
Rev. J. F. Clymer, of Pittsfield, Mass., will be found emi- 
nently practical and suggestive : 

SIMPLE BLACKBOARDING. 

The blackboard, like many good people, is much abused. 
It is denounced for Sunday-school work, because some have 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 65 

used it to exhibit artistic skill in the use of God's truth, thus 
making truth the servant of art. Truth and art should serve 
each other ; but in the king's palace art must be the servant 
of his law. When God's law is made the servant of art in 
Sunday-school blackboarding, no wonder honest natures are 
disgusted. 

The primary object of the blackboard in Sunday-school is 
to illustrate God's truth. When this is not done the most 
skillful chalking is unproductive of good. The use of the 
blackboard for illustrating Bible truths is condemned by 
some of our best thinkers for its materialistic tendencies. It 
is urged that the use of material objects for presenting truth 
leads the mind into the errors of materialism. God did not 
think so while teaching the Jews the principles of Judaism. 
He thundered on Sinai that they might hear him in his 
power and wrath ; but this was not enough ; they had eyes 
as well as ears, and he tcrote his law on leaves of stone that 
they might see him in its truths, and then commanded them 
to " write these words on the posts of their houses, and on 
their gates." When Belshazzar was to be condemned, God 
had no fear of materializing that besotted king by writing 
his death-warrant on the wall of his palace. 

Jesus was willing to trust the materialistic tendencies of 
his sermon written on the ground, that voiceless sermon which 
sent the captious Jews away in self-condemning silence. 
When Jesus wrote this sermon on the ground he " stooped 
down." A little spiritual stooping would help our black- 
boarding amazingly. Unwillingness to do the plain, simple, 
materialistic thing on the blackboard keeps many a superin- 
tendent from making it a power for the truth of God in his 
school. If our ideas of blackboarding had a little more 
heart and a little less art about them, the plainest sort of a 
man for superintendent would find that chalk and blackened 
boards would help him wonderfully to honor Jesus. In 
behalf of the modest, the unartistic^ and the unskillful, I ear- 
nestly plead for simple blackboarding. 



66 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEAKT. 

At the opening of school any superintendent may secure 
order by placing the number of the hymn on the blackboard. 
The silent figuring will notify every one in the room of the 
number of the hymn to be sung; it will also secure attention 
and silence, and will save much bell-ringing and talk. And 
more than this, those that come in during the singing may 
find the hymn without disturbing others, and join in the open- 
ing services immediately. 

The Golden Text, accompanying the Berean Series of Bible 
Lessons, may be put on the blackboard w r ith the rudest sort 
of lettering. This will catch w r andering eyes during the hour 
of recitation, and possibly bring wandering thoughts back 
to the lesson again. 

Sometimes a single word will be a key to the whole lesson. 
in the Berean Series, in the lesson entitled "Help One An- 
other," Rom. xv, 1-7, the simple word HELP put upon the 
blackboard in large plain letters will be full of significant 
suggestions to all, such as "Our need of Help" "Help comes 
from God," "We must Help each other," etc. 

An easy topical development of the lesson may be made 
at the review and put upon the blackboard in another form. 
In the lesson on " Naaman and the little Slave Girl," 2 Kings 
v, 1-7, the question may be put to the school, " Whom is 
our lesson about to-day, a man, woman, boy, or girl ?" Yes ; 
a girl. 

Put the word "girl" and what is said of her on the black- 
board thus, being sure to develop the facts from the school : 

little ttx y ip, what she could. 



GIRL :| SLAYE 



DID 



POOR 

good 1/ 11/ Good for evil. 



These facts, with but little thought and less skill, can be 
easily drawn from any school that may have merely read 
this lesson, and then the application of the tw 7 o practical les- 
sons educed, namely, " We must do our duty always" and 
" Overcome evil with crood." 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 67 

From the lesson on " Our Reasonable Service," Rom. xii, 
1-18, draw from the school, by suitable questions, the idea 
that "All we have is from God," and then show how reason- 
able it is that all we have should be used for God; and while 
you talk these thoughts to the ear with your voice, make the 
blackboard talk them to the eye, thus : 

ALL F F R oT GOD. 

WHY ? " Ye are bought with a price." 

In the lesson on the "Lamb in the midst of the throne," 
Rev. vii, 9-17, St. John in his vision sees the multitude 
in heaven who came out of great tribulation. Where had 
they tribulation? On earth. HERE. Where did he see 
them ? In heaven. THERE. Have the words " Here " and 
" There " on the blackboard, with the facts of the lesson, in 
the following manner: 



THERE 




White Robes. C Hunger. 

Palms. NO MORE ] Thirst. 

Washed. ( Tears. 



Great Tribulation. 

Hunger. 

Thirst. 

Tears. 



The locality of the words "Here" and "There" will sug- 
gest the idea of heaven and earth silently, but forcibly. 

The calling the names of teachers, and sometimes of the 
scholars, to get the number present, etc., consumes a great 
deal of precious time to very little effect. Let the secretary 
get the number of teachers and scholars present by counting 
them from his position at his desk, and then just at the close 



68 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

of recitation, or immediately before the review, he may put 
his report on the blackboard in this way, or in any other way 
that may be suggestive : 

No. of Teachers 40 

" " present 35 

" " absent 5 

How shall we snppty their places ? 

No. of Scholars 300 

" " present 230 

" " absent 70 

Where are they? 

This will occupy the time of no one but the secretary, and 
that for only a few minutes, and then the whole school at a 
glance can get a knowledge of the situation, and possibly be 
prompted to have the figures on the board tell a better story 
on the following Sabbath. 

Any man who has influence enough to receive the votes of 
any company of men and women to be the superintendent of 
their Sabbath-school has ability to use the blackboard if he 
only has willingness to use it in this simple, unostentatious 
way. 

The plainest sort of a man, with the lesson in his head and 
heart, baptized with the spirit of self-forge tfuln ess, whose only 
aim is to impress God's truth on youthful hearts, will do more 
with his rudest chalkings than the skillful blackboardist with 
perfect diagrams, but without his Christly spirit and aim. 



MATERIALS WAOTEU. 

A large revolving blackboard is of course the best. It 
affords a great advantage in that the exercise on one surface 
may front the school during the lesson and another exercise 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 69 

may be held in reserve on the hidden side for the closing 
review. Often it is well to have a simple exercise on the 
front, such as a motto or a word exercise ; a symbol exercise 
or outline exercise being kept on the reverse side until the 
other has been used. Some carpenter interested in the school 
will sometimes make such a blackboard at a low price, but 
its great usefulness will be an ample reward for an extra 
effort to obtain it. Those who are building new churches 
should put in a line wall blackboard. If neither of these can 
be had, a poor one is far better than none. Then a good 
eraser, a long, stout rule, a good pointer, and a box of mixed 
crayons, will make an outfit. White crayons should gener- 
ally be used, but other colors sometimes add greatly to the 
variety and strength of expression. By gaslight yellow 
crayons are most distinct. Use round chalk for writing, 
square chalk for printing. "Bear on! Speak loud to the 
eye ! " A free and off-hand way of writing and printing 
should be cultivated. 

The Scholars' Part in Blackboard Exercises. 

The most excellent use of the blackboard is to draw from 
the scholars the information already imparted to them by their 
teachers. Uniform in most cases, the exercise should not be 
written or printed on the blackboard before the time when it 
is to be used, except perhaps a few catch-words and initials. 
Questions should then be asked, and the answers briefly indi- 
cated with the chalk, until the exercise is complete. Lines, 
dots, and letters will often be sufficient to hold the attention 
and impress the thought. Difficult exercises must generally 
be made before the school session ; but all that can be drawn 
from the scholars by questions and readily delineated or 
printed should be left to the time of using the exercise. This 
will allow one to take advantage of childhood's curiosity, 
which loves to witness the creation of a thing. 

In this book the exercises are usually given as they would 
appear when completed. As much as possible, the materials 



% 



70 * THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

should be questioned out of the scholars. For example, let 
the board present at the opening of the exercise the following, 
previously printed upon it: 



SIN 

LO OGIVES 



The Father 
The Son 
The Sinner 
The Spirit 



Then ask how the Father feels toward us, and what he 
gave us as his greatest gift. The same question in regard to 
the Son. Then ask, How were the Israelites saved from the 
bite of the serpent, to what are we to "look," and what do we 
give ? Then, How does the Spirit feel toward us, and what 
does it give ? The exercise at the close will be as follows : 

SIN 

The Signer I . II OK S % I T I V V I iN H1MSELF ' 

The spirit LUvks ^ VJ 1 T JJU SALVATION. 



In an acrostic exercise, the acrostic letters may sometimes 
be put on beforehand ; in a table exercise, the outline of the 
table ; in a canceling or erasing exercise, that which is to be 
canceled or erased; in a map exercise, the simple outline with- 
out the points of importance indicated. 

Variety and Emphasis. 

These are given by the colors, size, and position of the 
words. Emphasis. — 1. The size of letters of course indicates 
degrees of importance. 2. Position. A word or two words 
having a whole line or standing alone are made prominent. 

Variety. — 1. Breaking up the sentences into long and short 
lines gives variety. 2. Colors, however, give opportunity for 
greater variety. References to Christ and his atonement 
should usually be in red ; to nature, in green ; to purity in 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 71 

white; to precious things, in yellow. Sometimes two colors 
may be used in the same letter as a double line of white and 
red in Christ. (For use of colors see alphabet of symbols and 
colors, page 185.) Emphasis may be illustrated by this exer- 
cise : .^ 

WHATSOEVER '^^e 

THE LORD '*• 

H-A-TH SAID UNTO 

THEE 
DO! 

"Whatsoever," "thee," and "do," are made emphatic by 
position ; "the Lord," by size of letters. Variety may be il- 
lustrated by this exercise : 

THE SHADOW 

OF A 

GREAT ROCK 

IN A. 

Weary HiStm-d- 

The breaking up of the lines gives variety; and also putting 
" Great Rock" in red as referring to Christ, and " Shadow" 
in brown. 

Our Divisions 

Are suggested by our own experience, and the classes are 
arranged in a natural order from the simplest to the most 
difficult, from the simple motto to the more elaborate outline 
exercise. Enough are given under each class to show dis- 
tinctly what we mean by its name and to suggest many 
others. 

1. The Motto Exercise. — The simplest form of black- 



72 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 






% 



AM 



THE LORD 



THAT 



board exercise is to write or print the Golden Text, or a 
religious precept or proverb, or some motto or watchword, on 
the blackboard. By breaking it up into short lines, empha- 
sizing important words by colors, large capitals, and a posi- 
tion by themselves, such mottoes are often made very impress- 
ive. The following is a good illustration of the arrangement 
of a motto on the blackboard : 

"The Lord" "healeth" "thee" 
stand out prominent, both on ac- 
count of position and size. " Heal- 
eth " should be in red, to suggest 
the cleansing blood, and " thee " in 
white, to represent "white as 
snow." 

Even the writing of a simple 
precept on the blackboard about 
which you wish to speak impresses 
that precept on those who are 
listening as no emphasis or repeti- 
tion can do. 

MUCH WITH GOD, MUCH LIKE GOD. 

Such a motto can be illustrated by the story of " that dis- 
ciple whom Jesus loved," or by the story of Moses on the 
Mount, and enforced with such passages as, " We shall be 
like him, for we shall see him as he is," and, " We all, with open 
face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are 
changed into the same image." The following exercises are 
only suggestive of a multitude of others : 

TRUST YE IN THE LORD FOREVER : 

FOR IN THE 

LORD J-IEIEIO-V-^IEI 

IS EVERLASTING STRENGTH. T . A 

ISA. XXVI, 4. 



HEALETH 

THEE. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 73 

THE BLOOD OF 

JESUS CHRIST HIS SON 

CLEANSETH US 



(The first two lines in red, the last two in white.) 

A story may often be nailed in the memory by placing its 

pivot sentence, its most important words, on the blackboard. 

For example, this motto and story : ^^2-^ 

"GOD IS NOWHERE." =V> 

"^ An infidel was one day troubled in his mind as he sat in 
his room alone, while his little Nellie was away at Sunday- 
school. He had often said, " There is no God," but could 
not satisfy himself with his skepticism, and at this time he 
felt especially troubled as thoughts of the Sunday-school and 
of the wonderful works of creation would push their way 
into his mind. To quiet these troublesome thoughts he took 
some large cards and printed on each of them " God is no 
where" and hung them up in his study. Nellie soon came 
home, and began to talk about God; but her father pointed 
her to one of the cards and said, " Can you read that ? " 
She climbed a chair and began eagerly to spell it out: " G-o d, 
God, i-s, is, n-o-w, now, h-e-r-e, here; God is now here. Is n't 
that right, papa? I know it is right — God is now here" 
The man's heart was touched, and his infidelity banished, 
by the faith of Nellie, and again the prophecy was fulfilled, 
"A little child shall lead them." 

Let the blackboard delineator then put a line under " now " 
to make it a separate word and also to emphasize it, and then 
teach the school from this motto and story that " God is not 
far from every one of us " in all that we do and say and think. 

The Rev. Geo. A. Peltz recommends the use of the board as 
a bulletin, and for general sentiments as well as Scripture : 



74 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

u Use it for special announcements. Much time is unneces- 
sarily wasted in calling attention to the various matters con- 
nected with the economy of the school. The proper use of 
the blackboard here will greatly aid order and quiet. For 
example, how suggestive would be the display of a board 
neatly lettered, as follows : 

NEXT SUNDAY 

MISSIONARY COLLECTION 

FOR 

HEATHEN LANDS! 

FREELY GIVE! FREELY GIVE! 

Or use the blackboard to express any general sentiment, 
or text, or motto, which may be appropriately made by any 
special event in your history. For example, on Easter Sun- 
day let the board be conspicuously lettered, as follows : 

'THE LORD IS RISEN.' 

Or at Christmas let it be inscribed : 

'JESUS IS BORN.'" 

SEED -THOUGHT. 

For Thanksgiving Day. — Print in the style indicated the 
following mottoes : "Eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send 
portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared." " Not 
despising the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long- 
suffering." 

Life or Death. — The following motto, from one of the 
sermons of the Rev. T. De Witt Talmage, is good for the 
blackboard : 

"Some theologians take four or five volumes in which to 
state their religious belief. I tell you all of my theology in 
one sentence : u Jesus Christ — take him and live ; refuse him, 
and die." 

Sin and Sorrow. — From the same source we give another 
motto exercise, when a single word may be used impressively. 



THKOUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 75 

" Ingenious little children sometimes tell you how, with a 
few letters, they can spell a very large word. With three 
letters I can spell bereavement. With three letters I can 
spell disappointment. With three letters I can spell suffering. 
With three letters I can spell death. With three letters I can 
spell perdition. S-i-n — Sin. That is the cause of all our 
trouble now. That is the cause of our trouble for the future." 

a Sin " being printed very large, across it, in another color, 
may be written the words in italics; above it may then be 

written, " Christ will save us from ," and on either side, 

'" No in heaven." 

II. THE TOPIC EXERCISE. 

Next to the motto exercise in simplicity comes the topic 
exercise, which consists in putting the divisions of an address, 
or the analysis of a lesson, or the prominent points of a story, 
upon the blackboard, one after another. For example, 
" Christ's Miracles of Raising the Dead," by Rev. W. B. 
Wright : 

I. Jairus' Daughter — from her BED. 
. II. Widow's Son— from his BIER. 
III. Lazarus— from the TOMB. 

This exercise illustrates the increasing wonder of the three 
miracles on the dead; one raised just after death from her 
" bed ; " another a few hours after death from his " bier," as 
he was " carried forth ; " and a third from the " tomb," where 
he had "lain four days already." 

On this same subject the National Teacher gives some 
excellent suggestions by which this blackboard exercise may 
be expanded and illustrated : 

1. The specially tender circumstances under which each 
of the three cases of raising the dead by Jesus was wrought, 
namely, an only daughter, twelve years old — an only son of 
a widow — an only brother of two orphaned, (?) self-depend- 
ent, (?) pious, loving sisters. 



76 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

2. Jesus' way of sustaining faith when overstrained. Just 
when the crushing message comes, " Thy daughter is dead," 
he girds the ruler's faith with the divine assurance, " Be not 
afraid ; only believe." What other incidents of like kind ? 

3. He who so often wept himself, so often says, " Weep 
not ; " " Let not your heart be troubled ; " " My peace I give 
unto you." The " Man of Sorrows," the Great Comforter. 

4. Jesus' way of speaking of death. "The maid is not 
dead, but sleepeth ; " " Lazarus sleepeth, and I go that I may 
w r ake him out of his sleep." The resurrection and the risen 
dead were such vivid realities to his omniscience that he could 
but deem death a mere sleep. So faith makes it to the Chris- 
tian. . . . The awful sublimity, and yet the simple, self-assured 
style of his address to the dead : " Young man, I say unto 
thee, Arise ; " u Lazarus, come forth ; " " Maid, Arise." (The 
Syriac noun which Jesus used was a word of endearment, and 
signifies a lamb. It was as if he should say, " My dear lamb, 
arise.") 

Seed -Thought. 

Now and Hereafter. — The following passage may be so 
broken up as to indicate its topics distinctly: "Now are we 
the sons of God ; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be : 
but we know, 1. We shall be like him; 2. We shall see him 
as he is." (" Now " and " what we shall be " should each 
have a line and stand in contrast to each other ; as also " it 
doth not yet appear " and " we know.") 

The Christian's Library. — This outline may be used for 
a talk on the wonderful harmony between nature, the Bible, 
Jesus, and Christian experience; Vol. I — "The Works of 
God ;" Vol. II— "The Written Word ;" Vol. Ill— "The Liv- 
ing Word;" Vol. IV— " The Living Epistles." 

Our Commissions. — The commissions to different ranks 
and classes may be written, one below the other, on the black- 
board, or written on scrolls in imitation of parchment rolls. 
Pulpit. — Preach the word. Pews — Let him that heareth 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 77 

Bay, Come." Sunday-school Teachers— "Feed my lambs." Con- 
verts — "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." 
Parents— "Take this child and nurse it for Me." Business /\, £ 
men—" Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit." All— \j 

WIT A TC AT?VT?T) G0D HATH SAID UNT0 THEE ' D0, ~*C* 

\Y JtlA.1 uUi-i V J-iXi ve would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, 

The Sower.— Seed: 1. Stolen; 2. Scorched; 3. Choked; 
4. Multiplied. (See Luke viii, 5-11.) 

God's Best Work— The greatness of redemption above ((< 
all the works of creation may be represented by this exer- 5 v 
cise : " God's best work. " The heavens : " God's fingers." 
The waters: " Hollow of his hand." The isles: "He takes 
up as a very little thing." Salvation : (Isaiah :) " He made 
bare his arm ;" (Mary :) "He showed strength with his arm." 

It is the mystery of redemption that " the angels desire 
to look into " — redemption, that was the theme of Christ and 
of the saints from glory on the mount of transfiguration — re- 
demption, that gives the singers of heaven their theme. In 
trouble God puts " under us his everlasting arms ;" in dark- 
ness " still 'tis his hand that leadeth us ;" if we sink into the 
waves, we only fall into the hollow r of his hand ; if we are 
deep in sin, the arm that was made bare reaches to the utter- 
most. > ^ r ^*^ 

Revival. — 1. Time: "Now is the day of salvation." 
2. Prayer: "Save now." 3. Duty: "Let him that heareth 
say, Come." 4. Result: "Added to the Church daily." 

Christ's Baptism. — Jesus — obeyed God — was baptized— 
prayed. 1. Heaven opened. 2. Dove descended. 3. Voice 
spake. Son standing : earth; Spirit descending : air; Father 
speaking: heaven. 

Loving and Serving. — John xxi, 13-19. The question — 
"Lovest thou me." The declaration — " Thou knowest that I 
love thee." The labor — "Feed my sheep ; feed my lambs." 

The Sun of Righteousness. — By Hattie N. Morris, of 
New York. — She asked the question : " How many names is 



78 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

Jesus called by ? " Many were given by the audience. One 
of the answers, " the Sun of Righteousness," she had chosen 
for her lesson. "What makes it so bright all around us? 
Put the outlines upon the blackboard : Sun gives light. A 
traveler may be lost at night in the woods, but coming day 
will reveal his path : so we were lost in sin until the Star of 
Bethlehem shone and the Sun of Righteousness arose on the 
earth. Sun gives heat. It warms the earth, unfolds leaf 
and blossom; so when our hearts are cold and lonely, Jesus' 
grace brings out blossoms of love and trust. Sun gives 
growth. As plants grow in the warm beams, maturing 
flower and fruit, so the Sun of Righteousness draws out and 
strengthens every grace. Miss Morris then used a magnet 
and several needles, also a piece of steel. Thus Jesus draws 
to himself the little child as well as the older sinner. As the 
earth moves away the sun attracts it to itself again. So the 
Sun gives attraction. Thus Jesus says : " Turn ye, for 
why will ye die ! " The longer the needles rest against the 
magnet, the harder is it to take them from it. So Jesus 
holds in strongest bonds the heart held nearest to himself. 
If we keep near this Sun of Righteousness he will give us 
Light, Heat, Growth, Attraction ; for Jesus says : " And 
I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto 
me." 

Harvest. — The following words, written in lines one below 
the other, make a solemn lesson for the time of harvest : " The 
fruitless tree. Nothing but leaves. This year also. Cut it 
down." The encouraging view of the harvest of faithfulness 
may be represented with the following, broken up into seven 
or eight lines : " He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing 
precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, 
bringing his sheaves with him." " Weepeth," " Doubtless," 
and "Rejoicing" should each have a whole line. 

Rum and Murder. — Rev. W. P. Siegfried makes a tem- 
perance exercise by writing the word " murder" on the board, 
and, after talking of its terrible guilt awhile, taking the 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 79 

same letters he makes "Red Rum," and shows that they are 
brothers in villainy and crime. 

The Lack of Love. — The Church at Ephesus was lack- 
ing in love. The following may be used : I AM SAD. In- 
sert letters LOVE. Read: ZO, I AM SAFZ7D. All 
we need to save us from our sins and our sadness is LOYE. 

hate we fouxd TUP T?TT?QT T nVT? 9 

HAVE WE LOST 1 Jl £j JJ lllO 1 LU V JCi J 

The Consecrated Purse. — The following may be used in 
connection with the presentation of some object of benevo- 
lence: Some one proposes a new spelling for the word "per- 
sonal" in the phrase "personal consecration to Christ," 
namely, purseand-all. Some good people greatly misappre- 
hend the full force ^ of personal consecration. Perhaps the 
new style purse-and-all may assist in giving them a- more cor- 
rect conception. 

Making Sunshine. — Print on the blackboard, in large let- 
ters, representing a sign : 

SUNSHINE FACTORY. 

TTSTCLE JACK AXD LITTLE JE^XIE. 

With it the following story : 

"O dear! it always does rain when I want to go any- 
where ! " cried little Jennie Moore. " It's too bad ! Now I 've 
got to stay in-doors all day, and I know I shall have a 
wretched day." 

" Perhaps so," said Uncle Jack ; " but you need not have a 
bad day unless you choose," 

" How can I help it? I wanted to go to the park and hear 
the band, and take Fido and play on the grass, and have a 
good time, and pull wild flowers and eat sandwiches under 
the trees; and now there isn't going to be any sunshine at 
all ; and I '11 have just time to stand here and see it rain, and 
see the water run off the ducks' backs." 

" Well, let's make a little sunshine," said Uncle Jack. 



80 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

" Make sunshine ! " said Jennie ; " why, how you do talk ! ' 
and she smiled through her tears. " You haven't got a sun- 
shine factory, have you ? " 

" Well, I am going to start one right off, if you'll be my 
partner," replied Uncle Jack. u Now, let me give you these 
rules for making sunshine : First, Don't think of what might 
have been if the day had been better; Second, See how many 
pleasant things there are left to enjoy; and, Lastly, Do all you 
can to make other people happy." 

w Well, I'll try the last thing first ; " and she went to work 
to amuse her little brother, Willie, who was crying. By the 
time she had him riding a chair and laughing she was laugh- 
ing too. 

" Well," said Uncle Jack, " I see you are a good sunshine- 
maker, for you've got about all you or Willie can hold just 
now. But let's try what we can do with the second rule." 

" But I haven't any thing to enjoy, 'cause all my dolls are 
old, and my picture-books all torn, and — " 

" Hold," said Uncle Jack ; " here's an old newspaper. Now, 
let's get some fun out of it." 

" Fun out of a newspaper ! why, how you talk ! " 

But Uncle Jack showed her how to make a mask by cut- 
ting holes in the paper, and how to cut a whole family of 
paper dolls, and how to make pretty things for Willie out of 
the paper. Then he got out a tea-tray, and showed her how 
to roll a marble round it. 

And so she found many a pleasant amusement, and when 
bedtime came she kissed Uncle Jack and said : 

" Good-night, dear Uncle Jack." 

rt Good-night, little sunshine-maker," said Uncle Jack. 

And she dreamed that night that Uncle Jack had built a 
great house, and put a sign over the door which read : 

SUNSHINE FACTORY. 

UNCLE JACK AND LITTLE JENNIE, 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 81 

She made Uncle Jack laugh when she told him her dream ; 
but she never forgot what you must remember : A Cheer- 
ful Heart makes its own Sunshine. 

The Royal Roll. — In simple lines, one after another, or 
on a large scroll, the following list of those especially men- 
tioned with titles of divine friendship : Abraham, " The 
Friend of God." Benjamin, " The Beloved of God." Luke, 
"The Beloved Physician." John, "The Beloved Disciple." 
Lazarus, "Our Friend." Disciples, "My Mother and my 
Brethren." The Church, " The Household of God. Who- 
soever doeth the will of my Father," 

JESUS IS? I HAVE CALLED I'OU FRIENDS. 

Harvest. — "He that reapeth." ' 1. (Daily pay) Receiveth 
wages. 2. (Lays up) Gathereth fruit unto life eternal. 
" Where hast thou gleaned to-day ? " Ruth ii, 19. 

The Teacher's 

PREPARATION OF THE LESSON. 

p 1. Pray. p 

-T5 2. Read. t^ 

■** 3. Commit. **> 

A 4. Think. A 



Y 5 j Consult Y 

E' ( Helps. „ 

6. Adapt. 



Helps. 
Adapt. 
R 7. Illustrate. R 

" Teach me thy way, O Lord ! " 

This may be profitably used in teachers' meeting and 
institutes in suggesting a good plan for preparing the lesson. 
It was developed as above, in an institute at Philadelphia, by 
Rev. Dr. Vincent. 

Emblems of Christ. — By Jl JET. Kellogg. — Four essential 
things : " A foundation — a Rock the best ; Light ; Bread— 
food ; Garments — clothing." 

6 



82 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



u Help us to build upon the Bock; 

Fill us, Lord, with holy Light ; 
Feed us, we pray, with living Bread, 

And clothe us all in Garments white. " 

" The Lord is my rock," 2 Sam. xxii, 2 ; " The true light," 
John i, 9; "I am the bread of life," John vi, 35 ; "Put ye 
on the Lord Jesus Christ," Rom. xiii, 14. 

Study of the Bible. Anniversary Verse Exercise. — By 
J. H. Kellogg. Points : 



1. To Read, 

2. To Study, 

3. To Earnestly Heed, 



the Bible, 



which tells us: (1) The Truth (2) About our Saviour; 
(3) Who calls us, in mercy, (4) To remember God (5) In the 
days of our youth. 

Yes, we will read and study the Bible. 
Earnestly heeding the sweet words of truth ; 
And, while our Sayiour in mercy is calling, 
Remember our God in the days of our youth. 



The first 
that Ave do 
Write the 



He 

that 

humbleth 

himself 

shall 

be 

exalted. 



letters spell the word "year." Shall it be in future 
this, or now, while we have time and opportunity ? 
word "this" above "year." 

The Outcast King. — Dan. iv, 26-33. 

NEBU CHADNEZZAR 

EXALTED 



OUT 
CAST 

BY 

PRIDE. 



exalted. 

be 

shall 

himself 

humbleth 

that 

He 



The king in the hanging gardens of Babylon. Views the 
great city. Heart glows with pride. He was exalted on the 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 83 

throne ; should have been humble. He was too proud to 
acknowledge God. So God made the "proud prince" an 
" outcast." The " prodigal son," to whom the father gave 
his portion of the goods, too proud to stay at home. The 
result of pride was that PRIDE found its way among 
"beasts;" the perverse son fell among "swine." Read down 
from top, " Nebuchadnezzar exalted on the throne, outcast 
by pride," etc.— J. M. D. 

Solomon and Christ. — Jerusalem glorious in the wealth, 
wisdom, power of Solomon. Heaven glorious in the riches, 
wisdom, dominion of the King of Kings. — Selected. 

The Dedication. — The heart of the believer the temple of 
the Holy Ghost. Dedicated by gifts, prayer, sacrifice. Filled 
with his glory. (See 2 Chron. vi, 40-42; vii, 1-5.) — Selected. 

Bible Characters. — An exercise on Bible history for the 
infant class may be made by taking one letter after another 
of the alphabet and getting from them all the Bible names 
they can remember beginning with that letter. Other ques- 
tions and stories about the persons will follow. A — Adam, 
Abel, Abram. B — Baal, Benjamin. C — Cain, Cornelius, 
etc— J. H. V. 

Analysis of the Lesson. — We are accustomed to put an 
outline of the lesson on the blackboard each Sabbath, before 
the study of the lesson commences, in order to secure unity 
among the classes. We also frequently put four or five 
special questions below the analysis to be answered in the 
closing review. 

Bible Lecture on Unity of the Bible. — We give on 
the following page an outline for a chart or large blackboard ; 
with smaller blackboards only a part of it can be used at 
once. A lecture or concert exercise may be given with it 
after thorough study of the history of the Bible. 



84 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

Unity of the Bible. 
THE WORD OF ^ 

J? . | THELOED % 

*-/? CJ £ . WAS UPON $ £ 3 £ c£ 

>* © ^ * . A Shepherd— Moses. tt % % ^ c/> 

5? ? § I * A General— Joshua. % \ % ^ 

<r i j H co A King- David. ■ ^ ^ 

°° $ *k % 4 A Herdsman— Amos. ^ 

*""- Jf* 5 ^ £ A Fisherman— Peter. ^ 

A Physician — Luke. 

A Tax Collector— Matthew. 

"These all spake with Tongues 

AS THE SPIRIT GATE THEM UTTERANCE." 

Chaldee — Daniel. 
Hebrew — Moses, etc 
Greek — Paul, etc. 

"IT IS WRITTEN" FROM 

The Wilderness — Moses. Jerusalem — James. 

The Palace — David. Traveling — Luke. 

The Fields — Amos, etc. Mammertine Prison — Paul. 

Babylon — Daniel. Patmos — John. 

"ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS." 

With this division may be classed the frequent printing of 
parts of hymns on the board to be sung after they are used 
as an exercise. For example : 

The Cross and Crown. 

The consecrated cross I'll bear ; 

How long? 
1 Till death shall set me free. 

What then ? 
And then go home my crown to wear, 
For there's a crown for me. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 85 

3. Initial Exercise. 
Next in natural order comes the Initial Exercise, by which 
several important words in the lesson beginning with the 
same letter are united together with that letter. For example: 



R 



From Sin to God. 

[NED /^^4 IN— Separates from God. 

AVIOUR— Restores to God. 



E 




—Teaches. 



DEEMED BY 

GENERATED K-yllllll )-**w™*- 

I —Comforts. 



This exercise may be illustrated by the familiar story of 
Curtius and the chasm at Rome, and other stories of men who 
have given their lives for country or friends. Another ex- 
ample of this kind : 



mi 



The Prodigal. 

ashness. 

nin. 

ebellion. 

epentance. 
eform. 



Lost, Q( ought, IT) estored, 

oves, Oecured, JTiejoiced over. 

Another example : 

Seeking a Saviour. 



s 



tar T^T^TT* AND TE 

ON H . H . K SHALL 

AVIOUR -UJUIV. FIND. 

ALVATIONOwise. 



" The bright and Morning Star." Isaiah. "A Star shall 
arise out of Jacob." Balaam. " We have seen his star in 
the East." Magi. " Unto us a Son is given." Isaiah. "Son 
of God," " Son of Man," " Saviour of the World." Save 
me." Peter. "Save now." David. Salvation to the wise 
now. " Him that cometh unto me 1 will in nowise cast out." 



86 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

" Seek first the kingdom of God." " Seek for Me with all 
your heart P 

Seed-Thought. 

David's Life. — He was Shepherd, Singer, Soldier, and 
Sovereign. 

The Strait Gate. — Rev. J. B. Atkinson makes an initial 
exercise of the following verse : " Strive to enter in at the 
strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, 
and shall not be able." 

The Faithful Servant. — Waiting, working, watching 
for the coming of the Lord. 

The Wixgs or the Almighty. — Children will trust in 
the covert of thy wings. " How often would I have gath- 
ered thy children ; ... ye would not." Illustrate this by the 
story of a hen who defended her chickens with great courage 
from the attack of a hawk, but a moment after she had killed 
the hawk she herself died of wounds and exhaustion. So 
Christ died to save us. 

The Brazex Seepext. 

The Brazen f — \J E R P E N T 

Pointed to the A 1 AVIOUR 

Who hath purchased ^ 1 A L V A T 1 O \ 

For U5 WBfcK I \ \ E R S 

And will ,^i AVE 

And eternal ^ ^ ' IFFEBING, 

Selected. 
4. The Syllable Exercise. 

Next in natural order are those exercises in which several 
words are bound together by a common syllable. For example : 

The Pathway of Jesus. 

LEHEM— Manger. 

ABAEA -Baptism. 

ESDA— The troubled waters. 

ANY— U How he loved him." 

SAIDA— Multitude fed. 

PHAGE— Hosanna. 
HOLD, 
LIEVE, 

WILL YOU GO? 




THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 8< 

" Behold" Jesus at Bethlehem in the manger— the Prince 
of heaven wrapped in swaddling-clothes, paying the ransom 
of your soul ; Behold a dove descending and a voice from 
heaven, at Bethlehem, saying, " This is my beloved Son ; " 
"Behold how he loved him" at Bethany; Behold the 
cripple saved at Bethesda, the multitude fed at Bethsaida ; 
" Behold thy king cometh (from Bethphage) amid palms and 
hosannas." Believe in this Christ and you shall be " born 
again," and have a Christmas and Bethlehem in your own 
heart ; you shall be baptized into Christ, raised from the death 
of sin, fed with angels' food, and your heart filled with " Ho- 
sannas." " Will you go " in this pathway with Jesus ? 

Seed-Thought. 

Re. — At our teachers' meeting, on Tuesday evening, Mr. 
Wisener, the superintendent, gave us a little lecture on 
teaching. He placed the above syllable on the blackboard, 
and by six additions gave us six rules for our preparation. 
" So teach," said he, " that the minds you work upon will 

u 1. Re-ceiye the truth into intellect, conscience, and affec- 
tions. 

ki 2. Re-tain the truth, this being made easy through the 
comprehensive and condensed forms in which you commu- 
nicate it. 

" 3. Recur to the truth frequently, having been charmed by 
it, and being by its apt illustrations constantly reminded 
of it. 

u 4. Re-flect on the truth, thus making it a quickener of 
the intellect, and from the seed you hold in the mind you 
will produce other truths. 

" 5. Re-form by the truth, it being accompanied by the 
Holy Ghost in the processes of regeneration and sanctifi- 
cation. 

" 6. Re-communicate the truth. He is never well taught 
who cannot re-port or re-teach the truth he has received." 



88 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

This was the substance of Mr. Wisener's lecture. It was 
aptly illustrated, and we passed him a vote of thanks. 

One of the Teachers. 

The Foe and Friend. — By Rev. X M. Durrett. 

Q A TAN Q 1^ D TT C T? Q m UNT0 DEATH. 
OAviOUR OJjJCURjJjU unxous life. 

CAUSING- 

IlijJLIEF JJJ V Li JXmORE. 

5. The Word Exekcise. 

This class includes exercises, in which two or more pas- 
sages or statements are bound together by a common word. 
For example : 

What will you hate ? — (See Prov. xxiii, 29.) 

THEY THAT T iTIi°^i A I^ WINE. 



W MAI <&4fr wb *Vw^^W ^Wredness of eyes. 

willU II if V yiz T z Tims - 




The words "What will you — (have)" are not to be writ- 
ten until after all the others have been written and spoken 
of. ' Illustrations for this exercise may be taken from the 
following 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 89 



"Specimens of the Work Done Inside." 

A young man in prison had such a strong thirst for intox- 
icating liquor that he cut off his hand at the wrist, called for 
a bowl of brandy in order to stop the bleeding, thrust his 
wrist into the bowl, and then drank the contents. 

A wife was dangerously sick and her husband went for 
her medicine. On the way home he stopped to drink with 
a friend ; one glass led to others ; after a long time he came 
home stupefied with drink, and threw himself upon the bed 
where the helpless wife was lying in mortal agony. He 
woke at midnight, startled by a terrible thunder storm that 
was raging, and found his wife cold in death at his side. 

In a village near Boston, an old man, the slave of appe- 
tite, endeavored to get some liquor as a medicine, being 
unable to get it as a drink. He said he needed it on account 
of trouble with his feet. Being suspected, he was told he 
could use it in the drug-store, but could not carry it away. 
He poured it into his boots, and was seen a few minutes later 
behind a fence, greedily drinking the liquor from his boots. 

Nay, more, a slave of this habit, unable to buy any liquor, 
stole and drank the spirits with which a corpse had been 
bathed a few hours before ! 

Blacker yet was the act of those rum-thirsty sailors who 
tapped the barrel in which a dead animal was being pre- 
served, and greedily drank the liquor to satisfy their burning 
appetite. 

A man who had broken the heart of his wife by his 
drunken abuse stood by her bedside in her last sickness. 
She made him most solemnly promise never to take liquor 
again except he should receive it from her hand. After she 
had died, maddened by appetite, he poured out the glass 
for which he thirsted, and placing his wife's cold fingers 
around the glass, took the drink from her lifeless hand. 



90 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

We give another example of this class : 

"The voice of God is upon the waters:" 

"BE STILL AND KNOW THAT 
I AM G-OD." 

JESUS K-THE SEA. 

KJ A^* KJ \U KJ Filling nets from - 1 - -t-X JLi KJ JL.A JL JL • 

TT^CJTTC! 1 Slept upon TTTT? OT? A — " Surely He hath borne our priefs." 

J J2iO U O Rebuked the Wind and I ±I_Ci OTjA— "Truly this was the Son of God." 

The incidents connected with the Sea of Galilee should be 
thoroughly looked up, and then this exercise may be used 
very impressively to exhibit the humanity and divinity of 
Christ, who wearily walked the sands of the shore as a man, 
and then triumphantly walked on its waves as a God ; w T ho 
gratified his hunger at the fisherman's table, but fed five 
thousand at once by miraculous power; who submitted as a 
man to the tax collector, but took the money as a God from 
a fish of the sea ; who asked the disciples in regard to their 
thoughts, but soon after beard the words " Thou knowest all 
things." 

He slept as the son of man on a sailor's pillow, but rose as 
the Son of God to still the storm with a word. As we look 
at one side of the picture we say, " Surely he hath borne our 
griefs." As we turn to the other we cry, " Truly this was 
the Son of God." 

Seed-Thought. 

Total Abstinence. — Several other temperance exercises 
may be made as follows, using the excuses : " Just here," 
" Just once," " Just a drop," " Just one glass," " For the 
bride's sake," "For health's sake," "For the country's 
sake," etc. 

Rev. W. D. Siegfried has made a temperance alphabet, 
with which we connect a w r ord exercise at the close. A-le 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 91 

and alcohol, Beer and brandy, C-ider and champagne, D-runk- 
ard, E-nslaved, F-orsaken, G-rave, H-ell, and 

iMtr-r can AponnATAT T3TTT T W0NT - 

Vregs-L WOULD AlJUlAIlM, DU1 1 CANT. 

The following, clipped from a newspaper, will suggest a 
word exercise with the word loss : 

The Losses Resulting from Strong Drink. 

" Loss of money ; loss of time ; loss of health ; loss of busi- 
ness ; loss of character ; loss of friends ; loss of good con- 
science ; loss of feeling; loss of mind; loss of life; loss of the 
immortal soul" 

Selfishness and Pride. — The Pharisee's prayer in which 
he uses " I " very often, and the rich man who said, " I have 
much goods," and often used "I" and " my," will suggest 
word exercises to group about " I " and " my," representing 
strikingly self-love and self-sufficiency. Peter also at the 
Passover uses "I" frequently, but on the shores of Galilee, 
after his denial, "thou" takes the place of " I" at the begin- 
ning and end of his sentences. 

The Model Scholar. — (Jesus at twelve years. Luke i, 
40, etc.) 

Obedient to God, to his parents. Diligent in questioning, 
in learning. Inquiring in God's house, of good men. 
Searching the Scriptures. Some picture of the Scriptures in 
rolls as they were at that time, or a picture of the temple or 
of the doctors of the law, may well be shown with this exer- 
cise. The story itself is very dramatic. The boy among old 
and learned men — the anxious parents — the journey. Each 
item, vividly described, is full of interest. — Selected, 

JESUS SAYS: 



OUR JL X_L JL AAJLJIv-LOVE-Olivet. 



92 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



r" 



When Jesus says " Righteous Father," or Holy Fathe 
it only suggests fear and the terrors of Sinai's justice ; when 
he says " My Father," it only reminds us of our own orphan- 
age ; but when he says " Our Father," it lifts us to the Olivet 
of love, and reminds us that in Christ we have an " elder 
Brother." 

" I remember," says Dr. Fowler, " once standing by the 
surging billows all one w r eary day, and watching for hours 
a father struggling beyond in the breakers for the life of his 
son. They came slowly toward the breakers oil a piece of 
wreck, and as they came the waves turned over the piece of 
float, and they were lost. Presently we saw the father come 
to the surface and clamber alone to the wreck, and then saw 
him plunge off into the waves, and thought he was gone; 
but in a moment he came back again, holding his boy. 
Presently they struck another wave, and over they went; 
and again they repeated the process. Again they went over, 
and again the father rescued his son. By and by, as they 
swung nearer the shore, they caught on a snag just out be- 
yond where we could reach them, and for a little time the 
waves w T ent over them there till we saw the boy in the 
father's arms, hanging down in helplessness, and knew they 
must be saved soon or be lost. I shall never forget the gaze 
of that father. And as we drew him from the devouring 
waves, still clinging to his son, he said, ; That's my boy, 
that's my boy ! ' and half frantic, as we dragged them up the 
bank, he cried all the time, 'That's my boy, that's my boy! ' 
And so I have thought, in hours of darkness, when the bil- 
lows roll over me, the great Father is reaching down to me, 
and, taking hold of me, crying, 'That's my boy!' and I 
know I am safe." 

The Brave Young Men. — Dan. iii, 13-18. — By Rev. 
J. M. DurreiL 



WILL 



TOUE GODS 



TITW ARE MM ABLE TO DELIVER TTQ 
1 XlJli I WILL IIUIfight forUU. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 93 

Let " we," " your gods," " they are able to," " us," and 
" will," be on the board. 

Begin by asking what courage is: not natural timidity, but 
a will to do right, even though we dread the danger that 
may seem to result. Napoleon said of one of his troopers who 
was uaturally timid, but who with compressed lips was 
marching up to the enemy's line with a firm tread, " That 
man is brave; he realizes the danger, but faces it." Then 
write "Will" on the blackboard. State that courage consists 
of two parts : will not to do wrong, and will to do right. 
Daniel and his companions had the first; they said, " We 
will not serve thy gods." Write " Not serve," and speak of 
the importance of saying " no " at the right time. Boy on 
street, looked into a liquor saloon where some one was play- 
ing on a violin; fond of music ; keeper saw him standing on 
sidewalk; invited him in; boy replied u JYo; my mother 
told me never to have any thing to do with men who sell 
rum." 

People of Babylon worshiped more than one God ; gods, 
all together, not able to deliver us, nor fight for us. Write 
"Deliver" and "fight for." The priests of Baal unable to 
secure answer from them on the mount with Elijah. 

Daniel and friends not only said no to wrong, but yes to 
right; had courage to worship god in the face of danger. 
Opposed to the gods of Babylon was the one God of heaven 
and earth. Erase the y and s of " your gods," so as to read 
" our God." Erase " not," the t and y of " they," cancel 
" are" with "is," and the exercise reads, " We will serve our 
God ; he is able to deliver us ; he will fight for us." " Wait 
on the Lord ; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen 
thine heart ; wait, I say, on the Lord." Psa. xxvii, 14. 

Success. — Take the two passages, Eccl. ii, 3 (a part of the 
verse as a question) and Micah vi, 8. Print, in large letters, 
"GOOD;" at its right print the words, "What is that 
(good) ? " Then write below, one answ r er after another, 
1. Wealth; 2. Fame; 3. Pleasure; 4. Power; and show that 




94 THROUGH THE El E TO THE HEART. 

each of these is unsatisfactory. Put a " not " before them or 
over them. Then write God's answer. Above the word 

" Good " write, " He hath showed thee, a man, what is ," 

and below, opposite to wealth, fame, etc., write, 1. Do justly; 
2. Love mercy ; 3. Walk humbly with God. 

Love, Joy, Peace, etc. — The Bible abounds in pas- 
sages containing "Love," "Joy," "Peace," "Trust," and 
other words in regard to inward life ; also in passages con- 
taining "Watch," "Work," "Fight," and other words be- 
longing to the outward life, and whenever any one of these 
words is to be spoken of, the memory or Concordance will at 
once furnish a word exercise. 

The Lord's Prayer. 

OUR FATHER 

nn TTT7 Name— Be Hallowed. 

1—1 y Kingdom — Come. 
JL JLJL 1 Will— Be Done. 

forGIVE TTQ f WTJ? ARE SI- 
lead fN ° V V P ; Wander. 
DELIVER \J KJ R H I A Abe ra dangee. 

THINE 

Kingdom, Power, Glory, 
FOREVER, 

AMEN." Matt, vi, 9-13. 

6. Phrase Exercise. 
This class comprises those exercises in which a common 
phrase binds together several passages. For example : 

Elisha's Defenders. — 2 Kings vi, 16. 

"THE LORD OF HOSTS Is'^fxfTfJTCT^^ <3 

"THEY THAT BE VV 1 1 11 U kj 

ARE MORE THAN THEY 

THAT BE 

WITH THEM." 

" IF GOD BE FOR US 

WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?" 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 95 

When London was shaken with the great earthquake, and 
houses were falling on every side ; when the ground rocked 
like the sea in a storm, and men cried for mercy, thinking 
the end of all things had come, Wesley gathered his little 
band of Christians in their chapel and read calmly to them, 
as they responded in many a deep and fervent amen, the 
Forty-sixth Psalm : " God is our refuge and strength, a very 
present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though 
the earth be removed," etc. 

" The Maiden Martyr of Scotland " was tied to a stake 
on the Scottish beach at low tide, because she would not 
recant her faith in Christ. Below her another Christian was 
placed, that the maiden might be intimidated into recanting 
by the sight of another's death agony. 

Again and again they offered to unbind her, as the tide 
rose about her, if she would give up her religion. 

Her only answer was prayer to God for strength. Then 
when the cold waters had risen high about her she began to 
sing the hymn, 

u Thou, from whom all goodness flows, 
I lift my soul to Thee," etc., 

and sang until the waters closed her lips, and her spirit 
floated out into eternity. 

A good man (Cowper) who had long loved God, was sick, 
the worst of all sickness, a sick mind — full of sorrow, tired 
of life, and hardly knowing what a terrible thing he 
was going to do, got into a carriage, told the driver to 
go to a river bank and leave him there. He meant, when 
he was alone, to drown himself in the dark deep river. But 
God would not let his dear sick child do so wicked a thing ; 
after a time the horses stopped, and looking up he was 
back at his own house. The driver did not guide them right, 
and they went back home. He got out, went in and wrote 
this hymn, which every child should learn : 

" God moves in a mysterious way." 



96 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

The expression " The Lord was with " is associated 

with Joseph, Moses, Daniel, David, etc. These also may be 
grouped into a phrase exercise, and the application made to the 
passage "The Lord of hosts is with us." In the pit where 
Joseph was cast, the basket-cradle of Moses, the den of lions, 
and the other places of trial in the lives of those mentioned, 
God was with them. 

The Tongue. — Four sins of the tongue are prohibited with 
the words "Thou shalt not" and may be grouped together 
as above : " Ye shall not lie one to another ; " " Ye shall not 
swear by my name falsely;" "Ye shall not profane the 
name of thy God;" "Ye shall not go up and down as 
a talebearer." The following penalties may be written or 
mentioned in connection with this exercise : 1. Lies. " He 
that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight." 2. False 
Swearing : " Shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." 3. Pro- 
fanity: "The Lord will not hold him guiltless." 4. Tale- 
beaeing : " Him will I cut off." Below it all the motto, 
" Sinned not with his tongue." 

Think.— The phrases " I didn't think " and " Don't forget " 
will bind in two groups the following suggestive exercises 
and precepts : " I didn't think it was wrong; " " I didn't think 
it would do any harm ; " " I didn't think it would hurt me to 
smoke ; " "I didn't think I should ever be a drunkard ;" "I 
didn't think I should lose my soul." "Don't forget that you 
are a sinner ; don't forget that you are in danger ; don't for- 
get that you must give an account ; don't forget that you 
must live forever ; don't forget that you may be saved ; don't 
forget that you must be saved or lost." Below write, " Whatso- 
ever things are * true, * honest, * just, # pure, * lovely, # 
think on these things." Illustrate with this incident : 

A young man who had been putting off the subject of re- 
ligion was one day thrown from his horse and carried into 
the nearest house, and, being told that he could not live an 
hour, cried out, " Must I go into eternity in an hour ? Must 
I stand before my Judge in one short hour ? God knows I 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 97 

have made no preparation for this event! I have heard 
of impenitent young men thus suddenly cut off, but it never 
occurred to me that I should be one ! O tell me, tell me 
what I must do to be saved ! " He was told that he must 
repent of his sins, and look to Jesus Christ for pardon. "But 
I do not know how to repent. The whole work of my life- 
time is crowded into this hour of agony. O what shall I 
do to be saved ? " he continued to cry with an eye glaring 
with desperation. But death would not wait for " explana- 
tions," and thus crying out for aid and instruction he sank 
back upon his pillow, and in another moment was in eter- 
nity. 

Darkness and Light. — "The blind sent to Siloam to 
wash and receive sight ; " " The sinful sent to the Saviour to 
wash and be saved ;" "I went, washed, received sight ; " " I 
obeyed, trusted, am saved ; " " Once blind, now I see." Said 
a preacher to a young lady, " How were you converted ? " 
" I went to God, believed his word, and was saved." "As 
they went they were cleansed." 

Loyalty in all Things. — The familiar motto may be put 
on the board as a phrase exercise : " Do all the good you 
can ; at all times you can ; in all the ways you can ; to all 
the people you can ; as long as ever you can." The words 
" all you can " are the common phrase to be printed large. 
On this same plan group the passages, "I will follow thee 
whithersoever thou goest," (spoken on earth,) and " These 
are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth," 
(spoken in heaven ;) also the passages, " Whether we live we 
live unto the Lord, or whether we die, we die unto the Lord ; 
whether we live, therefore, or die we are the Lord's." It 
will be enough, perhaps, to put on the board simply " live," 
" die," " unto the Lord." 

Give me Drink. — The following may be impressively 
grouped around the phrase " Give me drink : " 

Mr. M'Leod, an English writer,, puts the following lan- 
gunge in the mouths of those who visit the rumseller's den: 

7 



98 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

"There's my money — give me drink! There's my cloth- 
ing and food and fire of my wife and children — give me 
drink ! There's the education of my family and the peace 
of the house — give me drink ! There's the rent I have robbed 
from my landlord, fees I have robbed from my schoolmaster, 
and innumerable articles I have robbed from the shop- 
keeper — give me drink! Pour me out drink for yet more, I 
will pay for it ! There's my health of body and peace of 
mind ; there's my character as a man and my profession as a 
Christian; I give up all — give me drink! More yet have I 
to give ! There's my heavenly inheritance and the eternal 
friendship of the redeemed ; there, there is all hope of salva- 
tion ! I give up my Saviour ! I give up my God! I give 
up all that is great, good, and glorious in the universe ! I 
resign all forever, that I may be drunk !" 

7. Table Exercise. 

This class comprises those exercises in which several pas- 
sages or thoughts are grouped into some sort of a table. 
For example : 

Blessing and Cursing. —Having told the school to find 
in the Bible, during the previous week, six things that God 
hates, and eight things that God blesses, hinting, if necessary, 
that somewhere in Proverbs and Matthew the information 
may be found, put on the board, before the opening of the 
school, what is below except the words which follow the fig- 
ures in each row. These should be drawn from the school 
by questions, when the blackboard exercise is explained, 
near the close of the session : 



I Hate- 



THUS SAITH THE LORD 

1. Poor in spirit 

2. Mourners. 

3. Meek. 

Blessed are the 



1. A proud look. 

2. A lying: tongue. 

3. A wicked hand. 

4. A wicked beart. 

5. Mischievous feet. 

6. A false witness. 

Piw\ vi, 16-18. 



4. Truth-hungry. 

5. Merciful. 

G. Pure in heart. 

7. Peace-makers. 

8. Persecuted. 

Matt, t, 3-10. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 99 

Below the first group write, "They shall call on the rocks and 
nills to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb." Under the 
other, "These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever 
he goeth." 

The first verses of the First Psalm may be used above these 
groups at the close, giving the present condition of things, as 
the passages below give the future: 

"BLESSED 

Is the man that walketh 
NOT BUT 

In the Counsel His delight is 

of the in the 

Ungodly, Law of the Lord." 

(Those things hated.) (Those things blessed.) 

Gospel Idea of a Man. 

Faith. 
Virtue. 
Knowledge. 
(" Add.") Temperance. 
Patience. 

Brotherly Kindness. 
Charity. 

Total— A TRUE MAN. 

God is not satisfied with pet virtues ; with good temper- 
ance men who have no brotherly kindness; with faith in 
those who have not charity ; with virtue, but not according 
to" knowledge. We are to " add" these together, having the 
faith that mounts up on wings as eagles, the virtue that 
shall run and not be weary, the patience that shall walk and not 
faint, the brotherly kindness that beareth all things, and the 
charity that never faileth. 



100 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



The following example was suggested by an exercise of 



Rev. Dr. M'Cook : 



Christ is God. 



CHRIST 



5 LOAVES 

blessed by 
Christ 

I s 

I 5,000 LOAVES. 



Seed, 

Germ, 

Stalk, 

Rain, 

Sunshine, 

Care, 

Shower, 

Fruit, 

Mill, 

Bread. 



GOD. 



Christ on the shores of Galilee makes five loaves into five 
thousand loaves by a touch, God gives us our daily bread by 
means of the long process, u Seed, germ, stalk," etc. The result 
is the same in either case, "We are fed." Surely, then, 
"Christ is God." Other miracles of Christ may thus be com- 
pared with works of God to show his oneness in power with 
the Father. 

God's Gifts. — (By Rev, R. L. Bruce?) 

Seek ye first The Kingdom of God. 

Riches. 
"All these Honor. 

thlngs Happiness. 

shall Peace. 

be Prosperity. 

ADDED Food. 

unto Length of Days, 

you." Victory in Death. 

Eternal Life. 

" All Things are Yours." 

With the words, " Riches, honor," etc., use the following 
proof-texts : " The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich ; " " He 
shall stand before kings ; " " My cup runneth over," " Great 
peace have they ;" "The righteous shall flourish as the palm 
tree ; " " Verily thou shalt be fed ; " " With long life will I 
satisfy him ;" "Thanks be unto God who giveth us the vic- 
tory ; " " Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



101 



The Wonderful — Luke vii, 18-23. 
" THE WORKS OF MY FATHER," 

Blind ( at the ^ See. 

Lame ^y QRD Walk. 

Lepers < ' > Cleansed. 

Deaf Hear. 

Dead [ JESUS. J Live a S aiu - 
Glad Tidings to the Poor. 
" Thou hast given him power over all flesh." 

Selected. 

Progress of the Wicked. — (By Rev. W. X Gladioin.) 
Psa. i, 1. 

" Blessed is the man that 



1. 



2. 



3. 



Walketh 
not in 


the Counsel 
of the 


Ungodly 

nor 


Standeth 
in 


the Way 
of 


Sinners 
nor 


SlTTETH 

in 


the Seat 
of 


the 
Scornful." 



A. B. C. 

I. Notice the progress in each column. 

II. Find proof-texts and examples. Thus, the example of 
Peter : 

1. Walketh : " Followed afar off." Luke xxii, 54. 
2. Standeth: "Stood and warmed himself." John xviii, 
25. 3. SiTTETH : "Sat down among them." Luke xxii, 55. 

III. How far are you in this road ? How about that pride ? 
ill temper ? etc. 

There are two ways of coming down from the top of a 
church steeple — one is to jump down, and the other is to 
come down by the steps; but both will lead you to the 
bottom. So also there are two ways of leading you to 
hell: one is to walk into it with your eyes open — few people 



102 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

do that — the other is to go down by the steps of little sins, 
and that way, I fear, is only too common. Put up with a 
few little sins, and you will soon want a few more, and your 
course will be regularly worse every day. Even a heathen 
could say, " Who was content with only one sin ? " Well did 
Jeremy Taylor describe the progress of sin in man : ;i First it 
startles him, then it becomes pleasing, then easy, then delight- 
ful, then frequent, then habitual, then confirmed. Then the 
man is impenitent, then obstinate, and then he is damned." 
Eeader, the devil only wants to get the wedge of a little 
allowed sin into your heart, and you will soon be all his own ! 
Never play with the fire — never trifle with little sins." 

The history of Eve's sin, and also of Cain's crime, will illus- 
trate these downward steps : 




CAIN 



Ver} T wroth, 

Talked, 

Rose agaiDst Abel, 

Slew him. 



We first look upon sin, then think of it, touch it, taste it, 
and then drag others down with ourselves. So the sin of 
Gehazi also began with a thought ; for when Gehazi " said," 
etc., he said it to himself — there was, therefore, nothing but 
a thought at the beginning. Trace the gradation — thought, 
first ; next, " run after him ;" next, " take somewhat." Show 
how thieving and bold robbery begins and ends. Every sin 
goes by gradation. You w r ill find it so in the lesson. Note, 
also, the increasing determination : first, the mere thought 
unfavorable to the expediency of the act of generosity, so far 
as his master was concerned; next, in determining what he 
would do, ending all in an irreverent oath, using the name of 
Jehovah — it was the latter word which he pronounced, in 
direct violation of one of the commandments. Point : All sin 
begins feebly, but has a tendency to end in power — begins in 
thought, ends in act. Hence, evil thoughts to be guarded 
against. 



THROUGH THE EVE TO THE HEART. 103 

Christ Cleansing the Temple. 

The LORD is in His Holy 

TEMPLE. Psa. xi, 4. 

For the Superintendent's review reverse the board, and, 
after a few preliminary words regarding the Passover, ask, 
Into what building did Jesus go ? Write Temple, as in 
diagram. 

TEMPLE. 

( OXEN, 

MEN SELLING sheep, 

( DOVES. 
MONEY CHANGERS. 



HEART. 
SELFISHNESS, BOASTING, 

COVETOUSNESS, LYING, 

PRIDE, INGRATITUDE, 

BLASPHEMY, ENVY. 



Take these things Hence. 



M T. Bailey- 



The Christian's Inheritance. 
"ALL THINGS 



Paul, Apollos, Cephas, 

The World, Life, 

Death, 

Things Present, 

Things to Come. 



ARE -\7" 0URS < 
AND X E ARE 

AN 



S CHRISTY GOD'S." 



104 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEAKT. 

8. The Acrostic Exercise. 

The acrostic exercise binds several passages or points to- 
gether by their initial letters being formed into the impor- 
tant word of the lesson or address. For example : 

Jesus in the Temple. 

OUR Found, 
Arguing, 
Iemple, 

HOW THAT YEi left V! ? „ 
I sought me ? 

.LJNGAGED, (in Father's business.) 

ItETURNED. 

The word " Our " and the acrostic letters " Father " in 
red, and the rest in white. 

Watchfulness. 

WATCH 
YOUR 

W ORDS, 

• Actions, 
1 houghts, 
Company. 
Hearts. J. n. Watt. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 105 

u Search the Scriptures." (John v, 39.) 

SEARCH the 
criptures 

Earnestly, 
Anxiously, 
Ilegularly, 

CAREFULLY, Heb. xii, 17. 

IlUMBLY. S. W. 0. 

"How Shall I Work?" 

L ooking to Jesus. 
O rderly. 

V aliantly. 
I n hope. 

N ever doubting. 
G lorifying God. 
Xj iving near the Cross. 

Y ielding all to Christ. J. B. Phipps. 

Giving to God. 

f re G ularly, 

1.HOW \ W ! 11 ' ng1 ^ 

de Voutly, 

^ lib E rally, 
UNTO THE 



2. WHY 



L oves the giver, 
O rdains the possession, 
R ewards the act, 
D ernands the duty. 

S. S. Times. 



106 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

Jesus the Great Teacher. (John vii, 40-46.) 

" NEVER MAN 

C S imply, 

JESUS p I ?B3 £tively ' 

V. E arnestly. 

LIKE THIS MAN." 

Selected. 

The Two Masters. (1 John iiiyj.) 

THE WORK OF 



Deceives, 
.ljntices, 
v itiates, 
Infatuates, 
Leads to hell. 



J ustifies, 
Llevate; 
sanctifies 
u nites to god, 
Oaves. 

S. U. K, St. Louis, Mo. 



The Crucifixion. 

"They Crucified him." (Matt, xxvii, 35.) 



A C ruel 

A R ighteous 

An TJ nrepentant 
A Thorn-C rowned 

An I nnocent 

The F aithful 

The I nhuinan 

An E arnest 

A D ivine 



C ross, 
R edeemcr, 
TJ niverse, 
C hrist, 
I ntercessor, 
F ollowers, 
I nsults, 
E ntreaty, 
Death. 

James H. Kellogg. 



THROUGH THE EVE TO THE HEART. 



107 



-$ 



o 



Ho 



To HEAR, 
OBEY, 
IMITATE. 



& 



Follow Me." (Luke ix, 51-62.) 

O ONSTANTLY, 
JzLUMBLY, 

11 EVERENTLY, 
JL MMEDIATELY. 

k5 UPREMELY, 

JL RUSTINGLY. 

Fred, C. Elliott. 
9. Parallel and Contrast Exercises. 

This division includes those exercises where different pas- 
sages or thoughts are arranged to parallel or contrast with 
each other to show similarity or antitheses. 

It is useful to set before a school " life and death, blessing 
and cursing," to bring out the contrasts in the life of Christ 
and in Christian character, etc. 

The Two Temptations. 

EDEN. WILDERNESS. 

THE SECOND ADAM. 

1. EAT— 

2. ALL THESE KINGDOMS. 

3. CAST THYSELF DOWN. 

"Get tlee klii me." 



THE FIRST ADAM. 
t EAT— 

2. YE SHALL BE AS GODS. 

3. YE SHALL NOT SURELY DIE. 



I lid myself." 



(( 



ANGELS CAME AND 
DROVE HIM FORTH. f MINISTERED UNTO HIM. 

Satan is the same shrewd tempter in the wilderness as in 
Eden. He first tries appetite, then ambition, and then per- 
verts the icord of God. The father of lies said to Adam, u Ye 
shall be as gods." See him who was to be " as gods " sneak- 
ing in the bushes. He said to Christ, " I will give you all 
the kingdoms of the world," when he did not own enough to 
r<>st his foot on. Temptation comes to-day, first to appetite ; 
then, for the power of wealth or fame, we are urged to 
wrong- doing ; then we are tempted to " cast ourselves down " 



108 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



into soul-dangers, and even into eternity unprepared, and 
trust to God's angels. Cancel the three temptations with 
"It is written" 

The True Gentleman. (1 Cor , xiii.) 
"SHOW YOUR S E L V E S 

— MEN." 

(T/ie World's Requirements) 

~m "V ~W" "T" Smoking 

m ^^ / Swearing, 

W ^^/ Drinking, 

""^ Dressing, 

■ ■ Pride, 

■ J r M Politeness, 



HAVING 



Eloquence, 

Knowledge, 

Generosity, 



[Reverse.] 
(God's Requirements) 



A TRUE GENTLEMAN 
is kind, 
envieth not, 
vaunteth not, 
is not puffed up, 
doth not behave unseemly, 
seeketh not his own, 
is not easily provoked, 
thinketh no evil, 
rejoiceth, 
beareth, 
believeth, 



Sacrifice. (1 Cor. xiii, 1.) endureth. 



TOTAL — U I am nothing." TOTAL— " Never eaileth." 

After discussing " the world's requirements " on the front 
of the blackboard, print over it all " Sounding brass and 
tinkling cvmbal." Then turn the blackboard, and show how 
perfectly the thirteenth chapter of first Corinthians describes 
the true gentleman. 

Daniel's Temperance Society. (Dan. i, 8-17.) 

RECORDS' 

OF 

A Temperance Society. A Wine Club. 

ORGANIZATION. 
Pres Daniel. 

C Hananiah. 

Members < Mishael. 

( Azariah. 

AFTER TEN DAYS' WORKING. 

FAIRER, 
ATTER IN 
LE SH. 



Pres King Darius. 

Members : 

ALL the KINGDOM. 

I 



Er 



Rev. J. 3f. Durrell 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 109 

Well to compare the effects of temperance societies and 
wine clubs. A thing tested by its practical working. Draw 
out <Tf school the organization of the two societies, and put on 
board as the answers are obtained. After ten days' working: 
Alcohol a poison ; speak of its effects on body. When, in 
1832, the cholera raged in Montreal, of 1,200 cases not a 
drunkard recovered. In Russia, of 2,160 cases in twenty-one 
days, drunkards all died. In Glasgow, when patients were 
treated with alcoholic medicines, one in five died. Now that 
alcohol is abolished, one in forty die. After three years : Draw 
out answers, and put on board as before. Temperance is good 
for mind. Rum makes idiots. Decision of the king, the 
president of the wine-club. Four temperance, etc. One man 
with a clear head better than one hundred with dull ones. 
These four were Christian temperance men. The temple of 
total abstinence must be built upon the Rock, Christ — " Our 
Rock," etc. Which society will you join ? (J. M. D.) 



9" Abba, Father " — 

" God in us " 
" Jesus saves me " 
" The Spirit witnesseth " J 



SKEPTICISM. FAITH. 

Is there a God ^^ " Abba, Father ' 

Have I a soul 

Can Christ save 

Is there any Holy Ghost 

May I be a Christian " Whosoever " means me 

Is there a heaven B "By faith I can see it afar" ■ 

Skeptics live always with an interrogation mark on them ; 
reason cuts off the top and leaves the period of fact ; exultant 
faith has climbed higher, and shouts its confidence in excla- 
mations of joy. 



The Friend 


AT 


Midnight. 


(Luke xi 


, 5-13.) 


ASK 




SEEK 




KNOCK 


THE LIGHT 




THE WAY 

»SK 




THEMOR 


GIVEN 




FOUND 




OPENED. 

s. w. a 



110 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

The Pharisee and Publican. (Luke xviii, 9-14.) 
VAIN TRUE 

AM JUST. J^i 1 ( BE MERCIFUL 

TO ME 



I AM JUST. f^i 1 

^ST I +(\{\ 

GIVE TITHES. \J V/UL 



( A SINNER. 
BROKEN IN HEART. S. W. C. 

The following striking resemblances between the acts of God 
the Father and God the Son may be used, a part at a time, 
for several exercises on the Divinity of Christ. 

"The Father Worketh hitherto, and I Work." 

GOD CHRIST 

gave 

LAW on SINAI. GOLDEN RULE on OLIVET. 

COMMISSIONED 
MOSES DISCIPLES 

ON 

.Horeb. Mount of Ascension. 

CLOSED 
MOUTHS of the LIONS. EYES of the NAZARENES. 

Unharmed 

DANIEL JESUS 

Shadrach, Meshack, and Abudnego 

SAFE THROUGH 
FURNACE. MOB. 

CHANGED 
BITTER to SWEET. WATER to WINE. 

FED 

ISRAELITES THE MULTITUDE 

IN THE WILDERNESS. 

" BREATHED 
INTO MAN'S NOSTRILS ON HIS DISCIPLES, saying, 

"Recftve ye 

THE BREATH OF LIFE." THE HOLY GHOST." 

"Whatsoever doeth the Father, that doeth the Son likewise." 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. Ill 

The Endless Sabbath. 

CREATioN-God WAP1T ED "-" Ver ^ Good '—"R17QT i EYER - 

Life— The Christian VV UHJlYs —"Well Done n — liJCiUl ( MORE. 

" WORK while the day is shiuing, 
There's RESTING by and by." 

When God had finished his work, and found it u very- 
good," he began his endless Sabbath. When we have 
finished our work, and heard the Father's " Well done," our 
rest begins. Work through the little while ; rest through the 

The Multiplication Table of Forgiveness. 

Peter — 7 times 1 ) (i 
CHRIST— 7 times 70 j 

Matt, xviii, 21, 22. 

The Lesser of Two Evils. (Matt, xviii, 6.) 



Charity never failetl." 



Lightest. 

(Outline of a Millstone.) 

" SEA." 

Weighed in GOD'S Balances. 



Heaviest. 

11 Offend one of these Little Ones." 

" HELL." 



On Matt. vi^J-6^ Gk£fi&7 

The following is given by W. H. Sutton. Our blackboard 
said to all who came in : 

GOD LOOKS AT OUR HEARTS. 

After the class-study the board was turned over. The 
school found the following : 

The 

CHRISTIAN | HYPOCRITE. 

Gives and Prays 

to be 
Seen and Heard 

^ 

The scholars themselves supplied the blanks, and we placed 
on the right-hand side blank the word MAN, on the left, 
GOD. 



«*D 



% 



-% 



I 



112 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

" Like Him, for We shall See Him as He Is." 

CHRIST. 



■s 



TEPHEN. 

"Lay not this sin 
to their charge." 

"Lord, what wilt 
thou have me to DO % ' 



" Father, forgive them." 
" I come to DO the will of him that 
sent me." 



«w 



HEREFORE 



are they before the throne." 
God hath highly exalted him." 
Saul saw Christ at the gate of Damascus, Stephen at the 
gate of Jerusalem ; and even by that brief glance they seem 
to have caught something of his spirit, as their words 
indicate. 

Body and Soul. 



"Fared sumptuously," 

4 'In purple and fine linen," 

" Enough and to spare," 

A PALACE, 

And yet MORTAL 



Cjw Stoul 



"A BEGGAR AT THE GATE," 
"IN RAGS," 

" Perish with hunger," 
No "Home of the soul," 

IMMORTAL 



THE KING- 
ON EARTH. 

LOWLY, 
DESPISED, 
SERVANT, 
CONDEMNED, 

SUFFEKING. 



OF GLORY. 

IN HEAVEN. 

EXALTED, 
ADORED, 
KING, 
JUDGE, 

GLOEY. (Selected.) 



The Paschal Feast. (Exojljdi^ll-15.) 
ANGEL OF WHAT!!. 



bJf'Stft. 



EGYPTIANS 



ISRAELITES 

SAVED by the BLOOD, 
TRENGTHENED by the FLESH, 
TANDING, READY to DEPART. 

A lamb between the Angel of Death and the homes of the 
Israelites saved them. No such shield for the Egyptians. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 113 

So Christ, the Lamb of God, is our salvation. His blood 
saves, (1 John i, 7 ;) his flesh is " meat indeed," (John vi, 
54, 55 ;) and while we partake we are strangers and pilgrims 
ready for departure, (1 Pet, ii, 11.) {Selected.) 

Every Promise Conditional. 



CONDITION. 

Ask, 

Seek, 

Knock, 

Come, 

Stayed on thee, 

Draw nigh to God, 

Commit thy ways unto the Lord, 

If ye faint not, 

Faithful unto death, 



PROMISE. 

Receive. 

Find. 

Opened. 

Rest. 

Kept in peace. 

He will draw nigh. 

He will direct thy paths. 

Ye shall reap. 

Crown of life. 



"FAITHFUL IS HE THAT HATH PROMISED, WHO 
ALSO WILL DO IT." 

Contrasts in Peter's Experience. 

Passover— 111" "H A T — U I will follow thee. 1 ' 

Seaside— lV.lJjixJj— ll THOU e^owest that i love thee.' 7 

FIREz; 



Pilate's Hall— TT'TT) T?— " Warmed himself.' 
Seaside— _L J_JL\-Lj— Walked with Jesus. 



Pilate's— f\ AT] T) H^— iL I know not the man." 

Annas's — VjVJ U XL JL — " Whether it be right in the sight of Gou vo heark- 
en unto you more than unto God, judge ye. " 

Getbsemane — pi -r -pi T^-pv— Indifference, 

Peter had a wonderful change in his character from boast- 
fulness to humility, from selfishness to Christlikeness, from 
indifference to trustfulness. Fickle in his promise at the 
Passover meal, humble at the meal by the fire of coals — " I " 
has changed to " Thou ;" selfish by the court fire, walking 
with Jesus from the seaside fire ; cowardly in the court-room 
of Pilate, and courageous in the court-room where he was 
charged not to speak at all or to tench in this name ; sleeping 



11-i /THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

with indifference in the garden, with prejudice on the »ionse- 
top, w.th trust in the prison. He visited the mount : "It is 
goo 1 for us to be here ;" but he learned to dwell on the mount 
of trust. 

10. Canceling Exercise. 

Very many impressive exercises may be made by canceling a 
word or sentence with a better -or brighter one. For example: 

The Pre-eminence of Jesus, at the Tkansfigu ration. 

1. Law — Moses. 

2. Prophets — Eltas. 

3. Gospels — John.' 

4. Epistles— Peter and James. 

Write in some brightly-colored chalk, a Hear ye him" 
over the first row, after talking about it as it stands ; then 
write " JESUS ONLY" over the other row. 

Instead of the books we shall see "Hear ye him;" instead 
of the men, " Jesus only." As we look upon the mount, 
Peter and James and John are on their faces; Moses aid 
Elias have faded out in t ho brightness of Christ's glory, and 
we " see no man scire Jesus only" Below the above exeieise 
print as follows : 

L0< THINK. 



WHAT THEY 



HEAR NOT H 11 ill lllUil say 



99 



Write in red chalk, over the parts opposite "Look," tile 
following, to cancel the error, "to Jesus only." So, after 
" Hear," the following, " ye him." 

First, the exercise standing as it is above, show how we 
measure and plan by those strange yard-sticks and mirrors 
'•What they think'? and "What they do? and how we 
always have a hand to the ear for "What tliey say? Then 
cancel these errors, and let the revised exercise read, " Look 
to Jesus only " — " Heak ye him." 



THROUGH THE EVE TO THE HEAR'i 



115 



How to be Saved. 

- GREAT STY™ SAVED, 

THROUGH 

FORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES. 
A VORED DISPOSITIONS. 
ATE. Rev. J. M. Burrell. 

Cancel " Great urbanity," etc., by writing in large letters, 
with* different colored chalk, " Grace." Cancel " Fortunate cir- 
cumstances," etc., with "Faith." The text then reads, "By 
grace are ye saved, through faith." Enlarge on faith. Heb. xi. 

Blood Drops. ^Las 



1. "Have mercy 
upon ME, 

A SINNER." 

4. Taken in sin 

U IN THE 
VERY ACT. 4 ' 



7. 



Weary 

AND 
HEAVY LADEN. 



2. "Your sins 

and iniquities 
will i remember." 

5. "He was a 

THIEF IN THE 
PAST." 

8. The host of Pharaoh — 
sin, misery, 
disobedience— pursue me. 



3. "A WOMAN 
THAT WAS 
A SINNER." 

6. "How MUCH 
EVIL 
HE HATH DONE.' 



/ 



9. 



Ragged 

in THE 

FAR COUNTRY. 






>. 



These spots of scarlet and crimson must be raneel d by 
blooi drops from Calvary. Write over 1, "Justified;" 
over 2, "No more;" over 3, "Much forgiven;" over 4, 
"Go and sin no inoiv;" over .Hi, "To-day with me:" over 
B, "Peace with God;" over 7, "Rest;" over 8, "Under the 
blood ;" over 9, " The best rob?." Then, in hvge letters, be- 
low it all, " The past is all under the blood;" or, in place 
of :>, write, "Her sins which were many," and cmc.l it with 
" Forgive. icss." 

God A hove All. 



I AM 



*> 



PAUL, 

A PO L LO S, 

CEPHAS. 



After describing the divisions and their c use (see Com- 
mentary) cancel the words "Paul, Ap >llos, Cephas," by 



116 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

printing " God " in red over them, mid then write above the 
"I am" these words: "Be still, and know that," making the 
sentence seen by the eye at the close, "Be still, and know 
that I am God." 

Satisfaction. 

"I SHALL BE 

^' ' SATISFIED 



WHEN I 



RICH, 
FAMOUS, 
POWERFUL, 
AT REST, 
A HOME, 
A MILLION, 
. LEISURE, 
J SUCCESS. 



Cancel "Am rich, famous, powerful, at rest," with "Awake 
in his likeness." Cancel the four words after " Have " with 
"Christ." Then write just beside "Satisfied" on the left, 
"It," and on the right, "My longings as nothing else could 
d<>," so that the prominent passages before the eye at the 
close shall be, t; I shall he satisfied when I have Christ, and 
when I awake in his likeness," and also " It satisfied my long- 
ings as nothing else could do." Then, for the benefit of 
the young, add at one side, "Satisfv us early with thy 
mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days." 

The True Worship. 

WORSHIP '» J J£Xitt KM - 

Cancel "Jerusalem" and Geriz'm" by writing over them, 
in large letters, "Spirit;" add "by" under " in ;" write 
" God is a" over " Spirit," and you have Jesus' correction of 
the woman at the well. The thoughts then presented are, 
"God is a Spirit to be worshiped in the Spirit and by the help 
of the Sjrrit." The evils of ritualism in a 1 its forms may be 
shown with this exercise. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 117 

11. The Erasing Exercise. 

Similar to the canceling exercise is the erasing exercise, in 
which the eraser is used to rub out one word, or passage 
sometimes, in order to substitute another. 

Loving Jesus. 

George A. Peltz gives a very striking exercise of this class. 
At first on the board there is this sentence : 

"WHY DO I LOVE JESUS?" 

After talking a little of this to those who love Jesus he rubs 
out "Why," and u Do I love Jesus?" is his next point. Then 
he rubs out " Do " and the interrogation point, and " I love 
Jesus" stands before the school. Then U I" is rubbed out, 
and the exhortation " Love Jesus " remains. Then " Love " 
is erased, and " Jesus " is the only word the children see, 
which suggests the passage, " They saw no man save Jesus 
only." 

How to be Happy This Year. 

For New Year's Day the subjoined exercise may be em- 
ployed. Print on the board — • 

A NEW YEAK. 

Ask the children, " What was the first thing you said this 
morning ? " (" A Happy New Year.") " What did you hear 
those words with ? " (" Ear.") Rub out " Y." Then, " What 
do you do with the ear ? " (" Hear.") Put on " H " before 
" ear." " Now how shall we make the new year a happy one ? 
If we are not Christians what must we have to be happy?" 
(" A New Heart.") Add " T," and finish the talk with the 
words before the eyes of all — 

"A NEW HEART. 
This is given briefly, by memory, from "The Blackboard." 



118 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

12. Word-Symbol Exercise. 
This class includes all those exercises in which passages of 
Scripture or other words are shaped into symbols of Bible 
truth, as crosses, stars, plows, shields, ships, roads, etc. For 

example : 
~ The Peecious Cross. 

H E 

I S 






PRECIOUS 



BLOOD 

PROMISES 

" /^/f TO YOU 

^ THAT 

\Pd.y : /y BELIEVE. 

See 1 $et. f, ii* ; 2 Pet. i:/First and last, Christ is "pre- 
cious " to all that believe. His " blood" is precious, and also 
the "promises" and " faith " by which we claim and apply it 
to our hearts. The whole forms the " precious " cross. It 
would be well to ask on the Sunday previous to the use of 
this that the scholars should find every thing that Peter calls 
" precious." Then write only rt Precious " on the board before 
the school, getting the remainder from the scholars. The cross, 
as it is the most prominent symbol of our holy religion, is 
often formed in a way similar to that just indicated, in black- 
board exercises, as the following examples will show : 

a\ Thou 

/ 3 shalt 



V call 

s*V HIS 



I love 
them 
that 



0^ 



. I \ love 

" Believe on T p^yn ana " thou shalt " Come unto "TIT T? and be saved." 

the LOED J Eotl O be save d." " My son, give iVl Jj thine heart" 



' My son, give . 

for he & they 

shall that 

save seek. 

HIS M E 

people early 

from shall 

their find 

sins. J. S. Od randev. M E. Rev' d from J. W. C 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 113 

With this the passages may be used: "Suffer the children 
to come unto me," etc. ; and also, " O satisfy us early with 
thy mercy, that we may rejoice and he glad all our days." 



The Apostle's Cross. 



INFIRM- **>f 

ities, >y£ r - 

distr- <5^ >. 

ESSES, 

PERSECUTIONS, 

RETRO- 
ACHES, 
NECES- 
SITIES, 
F O U 

CHRIST'S 
SAKE. 

The apostle says : " God forbid that I should glory save m 

the cross," and also, "I glory in infirmities, . . . for Christ's 

sake." 

The Easter Cross. 

HE IS 
NOT 
HERE. 

EASTER MORNING. 

HE IS 
RISEN 
AS HE 
SAID. 

MY LORD 
AND MY GOD. 

W. H. Sutton, of Jersey City, used an acrostic cross at a 
convention in that State. He said : "I want to give you six 
reasons why Christ is the BEST FRIEND." 

He illustrated this iii the usual maimer of blackboard 
representation — 

The Best 

F 

R 
I 
E 
N 
D 



120 THKOUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

He told appropriate stories to fill out these different capital 
letters. The first, expressing the conclusion that he was a 
faithful friend ; the second, that he was our Rescuer, our 
Redeemer ; the third, our Intercessor / the fourth, our ever- 
lasting friend , the fifth, he is always near us ; the sixth, he 
died for us. 

" Now, scholars, you can carry these conclusions in your 
mind. If I had not a blackboard I would take some other 
method : I might take my fingers, so that the illustration 
would come with a word on each finger. Dividing the sub- 
ject in this way will help our scholars to carry home with them 
the thought that HE IS OUR BEST FRIEND." 



&^ w 



..vl 



The Life of Christ. 




DYING. 

SUFFERING. 
CLAIMING TO BE DIVINE. 
SAVING A PUBLICAN. 

TEACHING. 

WORKING. 

CLEANSING. 

CONQUERING. 

APPROVED. 

QUESTIONED. 

WELCOMED. Rev. & M'Gerate. 

This cross was used for a review of the life of Christ, hut 
may also be used to illustrate the thought that not that dark 
Friday alone, but the whole Vfe of Christ, was a crucifixion. 
At Bethlehem he nailed himself to the cross of a human life. 
Every tear shed over Jerusalem and at the grave of Lazarus 
w r as a drop of blood from one who was being crucified ; every 
sigh and groan came from a heart pierced with a terrible 
spear. 

The two expressions, " Christ's sufferings " and cl Our salva- 
tion," may be made into a cross, the "S" being at the center 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



121 



for the second word in each. A cross has also been made in 
connection with Joseph's life : 



F 



HC 

d> 

OR HIS BRETHREN 
OR YOU AND FOR ME 

«B 

WO 

H 
tl 

M 

& 

TEARS. 
DROPS OF BLOOD. 

J. H. Kellogg has given the following in connection with 

the offering of Isaac : 

GOD 

OFFERS 

HIS 



THOU 



from ]\fE. 



Abraham 

offered 

his only son 

upon the 
mountain top 



(Make sketch of 
mountain top 
and altar.) 



hast not O N LY 
withheld SON' 

CHRIST 
JESUS 
UPON 
THE 
CROSS 
E O R 
OUR 
SINS. 
*' They crucified him." 
Luke xxiii, 33. 



Genesis 
xii, 22. 



"We should 

offer 

a 

broken and 

contrite 

O 

Psa. li, 17. 



Gen. xxii, 12. 

The Anchor of the Soul. 
Our anchor: "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with 
the Father." " This hope we have " attached " to the soul " 



(^ 



122 



r <p[0 



THROUGH THE EVE TO THE HEART. 



'as an anchor," by the cable of faith, ? sure and steadfast." 
' He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself." 



yfc tHat h/\Ttf 



?&* : 



-mo. 

ha • \.<ri 

VE S 



? CA 



HIM 

PURIFIETlf^HIMSEII 



Illustrations, from incidents of sea life will be appropriate, 
and songs about sailing on the sea of life — " Clinging to the 
Rock," "Land Ahead," u Homeward Bound," etc. In the 
midst of a storm at sen, when the vessel was expected to go 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



123 



down in a few moments, a sailor came up to a man who 
seemed very calm, and said, "Are you not afraid? the anchor 
has given way." "But," said the other, " I have an anchor 
to the soul, sure and steadfast." 

The four word-symbol exercises following — The Christian 
Heart, The Shield of Faith, The Prize of Our High Calling, 
and The Key of Promise — are all by Rev. R. L. Bruce, of 
Stoneham, Mass. They are so clear in their meaning than 
they hardly need any explanation, but will repay a careful 
study with many fruitful suggestions. 

"Love is the Fulfilling of the Law." Rem. xiii, 8-14 



<a 



V 



4 



ine mm 

VSOUL 
STRENGTH 

Imind 



■WTO THQU SHAUT: 
A&WlYtf /VWf/BOf? 

..■■ T \v\SDn/wo 



(A</*rz 









124 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



The Shield of Faith. 




THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



125 



"Let no Man take thy Crown." 






TO RIGHTEOUS 
MESSSHALL 
xSWNEASTW^ 

STARS FOREVER 

AND 

THAT 

NO ■ 

\W& ' MAN THOU 

sHML.r Til B£ F MLT 

£ S10 ThV THE r/ W i 

1> vice ml hand <S 



urc inl HAND 

\ fh GRO op i 
% CR«^ Wl ^ #flD * 

c^clfOHTH WERE ISLmoyp 3 

M E ruoU FAITH FUL UNTO DEatm^S 
JSiWHEEAQRow^O 






Th\eprize of our high callin* 



126 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



The Key of Promise. 




THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

The Yoke of Christ. 



127 



COME UNT0 o ME ALLYETHAT LABOK AND ARE 



MY BURDEN 



Is Light 



My Yoke is Easy. (Matt, xi, 30.) 
I place first upon the board the two ZPs. I am about to 
address you and you, each oi yon. I want the ears and eyes 
of all. We are carrying burdens, <zui.lt, s : n, weighed down 
under the wrath of God. We a e tired of sin, a burden; we 
are heavy laden. Jesus says, "Cohie # unto iikH," etc. Will 
you come ? He will tell you how to get rid of this load. lie 
will tesch you. He says, "Learn of Me." How? Why? 
Y<m want rett. "I will (five you rest." How? "Take my 
yoke upon you" How can we get rest by taking another 
yoke upon us? His yoke is easy. We near the yoke. Christ 
bears our sins, etc. " Cast thy burden on the Lord," or 
Jesus, often. "Great pence have tliey that lo.e thy law;"' all 
joy, etc. Burdens light ; "These light afflictions," etc. The in- 
vitation, "Come unto ME all ye that la } >or and" etc. The 
owner brings the yoke, and the oxen come under n. They 
assist in reaping the Melds, and in winter live on the harvest, 
etc. Sometimes we see one ox lying down and the other 
standing, both joined to one yoke, one ready for work, the 



% 



128 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



other at ease. So Christ waits for the idle Christian. " Woe 
unto them that are at ease in Zion" — J. S. Ostrander. 

The Milestones of the Narrow Way. 

In the city of Rome distances were measured by milestones 
that counted in each direction from the golden milestone in 
the public square. So all along our way God. puts up the 
milestones of the promises, beginning with the Golden Mile- 
stone of Conversion. 

Make the outline of a road, with milestones, each formed of 
the words of a promise. 

13. The Map Exercise. 

This class includes simply geographical outlines and maps 
on the blackboard. Whenever the geography of a lesson is 
to be brought out, no means is more useful than a blackboard 
outline, on which the scholars can direct the blackboard de- 
lineator in marking the 
prominent points. 

A map whose con- 
struction the eye has wit- 
nessed will be retained 
more rendity and vividly 
in the mind than one far 
more elaborate displayed 
when complete. The lack 
of exactness and finish 
will be more than com- 
pensated in the distinct- 
ness and impressiveness 
attained. 

The outline here pre- 
sented will be a conven- 
ient form of carrying 
the shape of Palestine 
in the memory. 



it - ® vgf A i 




•BETHABARA 

f\OUTE OF W SEMEN 



CASTLE OF 

MACHERUS 



4$ THROUGH THE Ef E TO THE HEAHT. 

The second party to go from Beersheba across to the Dead 
Sea, (notice Zoar, Sodom and Gomorrah, Edom, Moab, and 
Mount Pisgah overlooking the whole ;) then up the Jordan 
(notice its crossing by the Israelites, its waters parted by the 
prophet's mantle ; Jericho, a little way from its banks, whose 
walls fell, waters were healed, etc., the brook Jabbok that 
flows into it, Jacob's wrestling-place) to the Sea of Gali- 
lee, and coast along its western shore, stopping at Gadara, 
(demoniac ;) then up to the continuation of the Jordan, 
through to the waters of Merom to Caesarea Philippi, (Jesus,) 
and across to Dan. 

The third party to go through the center of the country 
from Beersheba to Hebron, (Abraham,) to Bethlehem, 
(David, Ruth, Jesus,) to Jerusalem, (see Bible Dictionary, 
etc.,) to Mount of Olives, (Gethsemane, Ascension, David's re- 
treat, etc.,) to Bethany, (Lazarus, spikenard, etc.,) to Bethel, 
(Jacob, etc.,) to Gilgal, (Joshua,) to Shechem, (Jacob's well.) 
stopping to climb Mount Gerizim, (Samaritan temple, bless- 
ings and curses,) and Mount Ebal to Samaria, (God's deliv- 
erance, etc. ;) to Dothan, (Joseph,) to Mount Gilboa, (Saul, 
etc..) to Nain, (Jesus.) to Nazareth, (Jesus,) to Cana, (wine,) 
to Mount Tabor and Mount of Beatitudes; then to the lower 
part of the Sea of Galilee, and up the eastern coast to Tiberias, 
(miracles,) Bethsaida, (miracles,) Chorazin, (curses ;) then 
across the sea, recalling the voyages of Christ and hia apos- 
tles, (the two storms, two draughts of fishes, etc. ;) then across 
the country to Dais". 

Teachers and scholars having studied their Bibles and Bible 
Dictionaries, with their maps, and being prepared to make 
these three trips, with a knowledge of all the historical asso- 
ciations, the lecturer, with pictures, relics from the East, and 
incidents from books of travel, can make these journeys very 
interesting and instructive. A similar lecture can be made 
with the map of the Israelites' Journey, called " From Ra- 
meses to Jerusalem ;" and another on the map of the Journeys 
of St. Paul, called iC From Damascus to Rome." 



•5N 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



4»i . £*; 



A study of the history will enable the teacher to tell the story, 
not in stereotyped phrases, but as an interesting narrative of 



A** 




travel. As the history of Paul is continued on following Sab- 
baths, the new countries may be added and the three journeys 
kept distinct by three different colors of chalk. Only a little 
will be added to the map at once, and that thoroughly ex- 
plained, so that at the close a life-long remembrance of Paul's 
wanderings will be secured. An. interesting exercise may be 
conducted with this map, such as is suggested on pages 58, 
59. The school may be divided into sections, each of them 
having one of Paul's journeys, on which they are to prepare. 
Then beginning with the map, as on page 130, the line may 
be increased and the places added, one after another, until all 
the journeys of Paul are completed, and he has " finished his 
course." Appropriate selections of Scripture, hymns, recita- 
tions, and readings will add to the interest of the exercise. 
The whole may be named, "From Damascus to Rome." 



132 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



The following map will give a complete view of Paul's 
journeyings, as a basis for making these partial maps. 




We give also, without special com nent, the following speci- 
mens of this style of map drawing from the Sunday- School 
Journal. 









THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



13S 



From Jerusalem to Bethabara. The Sea of Galilee. 





Topographic Lines of 
Palestine. 



The two following diagrams will be a sort of square and 
dead level for making maps of parts or all of Palestine. 

A Memory Map of 
Palestine. 

To make a 
memory map, 
(see diagram,) 
draw straight 
line A B per- 
pendicular to 
C B, making 
C B nearly 




Mt. Lebanon. Mt, Hermon. 


/ GAL 


ILEE 


J 






/ v 

cf / C 


aJ 


5 
















c S -i 


i-a 








2 *a/ C 


•c 




c 




5 «/ s 


o 
1-5 




►J 

c 




4> O/ <* 










£ / SAMA 


RIA. 




c 










3 




S / 

/ Jerusalem 






C 




• 


V 


s 




Joppa • JUD 

/ 


EA 


39 







G half as long as 
A B; join A 

C ; divide A B — S. S. Journal. 

into two equal 

parts at G, and G B into two equal parts 
atE; divide A C into three equal parts at 
F and D ; join F G, and also D E. [1= 
Judea; 2=Samaria ; 3=Galilee; D=Jop- 
pa ; F=Mount Carmel. The Dead Sua commences a little 
below E, and the Sea of Galilee a little above G.] Surface 
diversified, by mountains, rivers, plains, and ravines. — JRev. J. 
Comper Gray. 



134 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



Dr. M'Cook, in a map which he made upon the blackboard 
at an institute in Philadelphia, took the Sea of Galilee as a 
unit of measure, and about one length above it placed Lake 
Merom ; about six lengths below, measuring by the eye sim- 
ply, the Dead Sea, making a crooked line to connect them, 
as the Jordan, with small streams branching out from it at 
appropriate places: about three lengths to the left of the Sea 
of Galilee he made Mount Carmel, and then slanted the line 
inward above and outward below, and, after a few additions 
of mountains and towns connected with the locality he de- 
sired to speak of, the map presented a very good representa- 
tion of Palestine. If a variety of colors are used for water, 
shore, mountains, towns, rivers, etc., it will add greatly to 
the clearness and beauty of the map. 

If the scholars can be induced to reproduce these maps from 
memory on their slates at home, and afterward bring them to 
their teachers, it will fix them yet more clearly in their mind. 

Sometimes it is well to make a local map without the 
outline of the country as its frame-work, as the following for 
Christ at Jacob's Well. 







ASKAR^ 

VAU. OF NABLUS. J0 T S ^ H B ' S 1 

NABLU5 JACOB'S WELL ^ 



\a\\m^m 



\fmtJwm 



— Sunday-School Journal. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 
We add one more specimen of this class. 

Nain and Vicinity. 



185 




In telling the story of the miracle at "NTain, this map may- 
be used to show its position and the points of Bible interest 
that surround it. Cm. is Carmel, G. is the Sea of Galilee, B. 
is Bethsaida, Ti. is Tiberias, C. is Cana, Nz. is Nazareth, and 
Na. is Nain: Old Testament history connects many interest- 
ing events with this region. 

Seed -Thought. 

The following may be made into a useful map by a rough 
sketch of the mountains and the sea, with tents in the midst, 
to show the perilous position of the Israelites. 



136 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

The Sea-Path. (Exod. xiv, 9, 19-22, 27.) 
MOUNTAIN. 



EGYPTIANS . Israel. SE A 

MOUNTAIN. 

Describe the situation of Israel. The enemy behind, mount- 
ains on either side, the sea in front. But God opened a path 
through the sea. Israel went over. The Egyptians were 
drowned. The Egyptians trusted in their horses and chari- 
ots, Israel trusted in God. " Rome trust in chariots" etc. 
Psajm xx, 7 . 

Use the map not only historically, but also to show that 
when God bids us "go forward" he always clears our way 
as we go. " Though we pass through the waters, they shall 
not come nigh us." "Though a host should encamp against 
us, in God shall we be confident." 

The Wandering Path. 

An excellent illustration of the going forward and back- 
ward, the faithfulness and faltering of many Christians, may 
be made by drawing the crooked line of the journey of the 
Israelites through the wilderness, marking not only prominent 
places, but also, at proper points, "Manna," "Brazen serpent," 
"Water from the rock," "Fowls from the heavens," to indi- 
cate God's goodness ; and such passages as these, at other 
places, when they begin to turn back, "Much discouraged," 
"Longing for flesh-pots," "Rebelling," "Golden calf," etc., 
to represent not only the historical facts, but also our prone- 
ness to wander.* 

° A concert exercise on this journey, entitled " The Christian Pil- 
grimage," has been prepared by the author of this book in connection with 
Dr. Eben Tourjee. The circulars are used both for concert and praise 
meetings, and are published by Eben Shute, 40 'Winter-street, Boston, Mass. 
Trice, $1 50 per hundred. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 137 

14. The Outline Exercise. 

Last and best of all is the outline exercise — outline drawings 
for the illustration of truth. 

Most of the outlines are only the putting into chalk of Bible 
metaphors and similes. Those of this kind are by far the best ? 
and seldom is it well to represent any other outlines on a Sab- 
bath-school blackboard. We might make one important 
exception in favor of the religious symbols of the Church, 
which are given at the close of this division. They offer a 
wide range for appropriate outline exercises. As a rule, elab- 
orate outlines are a disadvantage, although a school that has 
an excellent artist may as properly have a beautiful picture 
on one side of its blackboard as on its wall. In almost every 
case the simplest outlines, drawn at the time of explanation, 
without special effort at ornament or # perfection, are the best. 

From the Cradle to the Coffin. b+ 4f'2j* 

Mr. Stout makes a very impressive lesson with a simple line: 

G| |C 

He tells the schools that the line they see is the picture of 
every human life from the cradle to the coffin. Every one 
that hears him is at some point on that line. They all wish 
that point may be nearer the first " C " than the other, but it 
may be very near the last, etc. The same excellent speaker 
makes an impressive exercise for teachers by making two a Cs" 
as above, and then connecting them by a curve, saying, "The 
teacher's orbit should be from the closet of prayer to the 
class;" and then, making another curve from the second "C" 
back to the first, he adds, " and from the class to the closet." 

Another very simple exercise comes to us from the an- 
cients : 

"Pythagoras used the letter Y as a symbol of human life. 
'Remember,' says he, 'that the foot of the letter represents 
infancy, and the forked top the two paths of virtue and \ ice, 



138 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



one or the other of which people are to enter upon after 
attaining the age of discretion." 

Another exercise as simple as that just mentioned is to rep* 
resent with two lines, meeting at right angles, the coming 
together of 

Philip and the Eunuch. 

After the story of their journeys and meeting is told, when 
the separation is mentioned, continue the lines so that they 
will form a cross. 

The Treasurer of Candace found the cross as Philip 
u preached unto him Jesus " from the fifty-third of Isaiah. 
When the Christian is willing to obey the leadings of the 
Spirit, and the awakened one is desiring to know the way, 
God's providence will bring them together, and both shall be 
blessed. " Jesus in the Old Testament," u Drawing near 
to those we would benefit," " Preaching Jesus to single hear- 
ers by the roadside and fireside," and other such topics, may 
be presented from this story and outline. 

The First Loye Lost. 

Another simple exercise 
is the accompanying star 
cross, that may be used 
with the letter to the Church 
at Ephesus in j Rev. xi. (__There 
are seven stars, the angels of the seven 
Churches, and one of them is falling for 
Lick of love. The Church at Ephesus 
had a grand record in some respects — 
works and labor and patience, indig- 
nation and punishment for evil-doers, en- 
durance, and other virtues, but all was in 
vain for lack of love: "I have somewhat 
against thee because thou hast left thy first love." A similar 
failure is described in 1 Corinthians xiii. 




THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



139 



The Cross. 

The outline cross may be used with a variety of inscrip- 
tions. For example: 



asK what ye w ILl> 





> 






td 






KH 






t) 






H 




I 


IN 


YOU 




K 






fed 






t> 






* 






U 














^. 



1 will do * tI 



Or across, " If any man 
sin;" down, "We have an 
Advocate." Across, " Con- 
quer ; " down," In this sign." 
Or down, " God forbid that 
I should glory;" across, 
" Save in the cross." Down, 
" The power of God unto 
salvation ; " across, " To 
every one that believeth." 
Around the cross may be 
grouped the last utterances 
of Jesus as he hung upon 
it: 



^ 



Words of Suffering. Words of Love, 

1. John xix, 28. 4. Luke xxiii, 34. 

2. Matt, xxvii, 46. 5. Luke xxiii, 43. 
6. John xix, 26, 27. 

7. Luke xxiii, 46. 



3, John xix, v 



1. Thirst. 

2. Forsaken. 
S. Finished. 



t 



7. Hand. 



4. Forgive. 

5. Paradise. 

6. Son, mother. 



Or this : 

EebeUion, 

The ruin it wrought, and God's 
remedy. Num^xvi, 46-50. 

Aaron Jesus 

stood between 



'The Living." 



"Eternal 
Life." 



t 



" Th.3 Dead." 



'The Second 
Death." 



1 Tim. ii, 5. 



140 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



Or this, by J. B. Phipps: 



<P 



^«IHBCo.^ 



JOSEPH, 

Hated, 
Envied, 
Enslaved, 
Imprisoned. 
Suffered 
His Brethren. 



t 



% 



JESUS, 

Rejected, 
Despised, 
Betrayed, 
Crucified. 
to SAVE 
Me, a Sinner. 



Conquered through Love, every 
Knee shall Bow. 



A. C. Chaplin, of Conway, 
Mass., gives the following ex- 
cellent advice in regard to 
simple outlines to infant class 
teachers, but it may not be 
wholly inappropriate for oth- 
ers also : 

" Do not forget that in nine 
cases out of ten a simple illus- 
tration, drawm directly from 
the lesson, is better than any 
other. It' your lesson is on the ' Gadarene Demoniac,' draw 
an ancient tomb with a broken chain beside it. If on the 
'Ten Virgins,' draw ten lamps, five burning and five gone 
out. If on death, natural or spiritual, draw two or three 
graves. If on ' Christ the Light of the World,' draw the rising 
sun shining upon a house with closed blinds. Such parables 
as 'The Builders,' 'The Friend at Midnight,' and some 
others, suggest their own pictures. A very interesting les- 
son may be made from the 'Mustard Seed' by drawing in 
colors a tree, full size (enlarge from Bible dictionary) of the 
mustard tree, and by its side a dot, representing the seed. 
An old-fashioned well on one side, on the other the name 
'Jesus,' may furnish an introduction to a talk about the * Liv- 
ing Water,' and so on indefinitely." 

While we thus seek simplicity, distinctness must also be 
secured lest the exercise become ludicrous. A superintend- 
ent, having drawn what he intended for an ii/e on the black- 
board, asked, " Xow what do you see on the board ?" A boy 
answered, " an oyster shell" 

Such answers will sometimes be given when the outline is 
correctly drawn, as the following illustration will show. Says 
J. S. Ostrander, " Not a great while ago I was present at a 
large Sunday-school meeting, in which one of our most suc- 
cessful teachers used the board to illustrate the idea of a sacri- 
fice. He drew upon the board an altar, and upon it a lamb, 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 1-il 

around which lie drew, with red crayon ^ representations of the 
consuming fire. The whole was well done. The children 
were pleased and instructed. 'What is this, children?' he 
said, pointing to the altar, lamb, etc., to all of which correct 
answers were obtained. Finally the simplicity and innocence 
of a little child was discovered by the putting of the following 
question by the speaker : ' And what is this ? ' (pointing to 
the red chalk representation of fire) After some hesitancy a 
little voice out in the congregation responded, ' I guess they 
are the feathers of the lamb.'' Like a good questioner, the 
brother received the answer with respect, and proceeded to 
u simplify and repeat." 

We will insert several simple and very impressive exercises 
on the life of Elijah, contributed by Mrs. Samuel W. Clark 
of Newark, as examples of simple outlines. 

Elijah Fed by Ravens. 

A tree is rudely drawn, a line or two is made for ground, a 
perpendicular line beneath the tree represents the prophet, 
and four or five double curves represent the coming ravens in 
the familiar way in which children represent riving birds. 
These parts will be added, one after another, as they are de- 
scribed. This motto may be written above them, GOD SUP- 
PLIES OUR DAILY WANTS, and below 

ELIJAH B GOD, 

I MUST DO b O . 

The Poor Widow. ^ 

The story of the widow's poverty, and also of her bereave- 
ment, are represented by the rude outline of a gate in a wall 
of square stones, with the simple outline of a cottage just 
inside, and two perpendicular lines to represent the widow 
gathering sticks when she met the prophet. As the story is 



It 



142 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

told the outline is made step by step, and on the board are 
the words, 

f^\ r\~T} Cares for the Poor. 
VJXvyJLy Helps in Sorrow. 

The Answer by Fire. 
For the " answer by fire " on Carmel the outline of a 
mountain is drawn, with two altars, a fire blazing on one only. 
At its sides the trenches are represented by simple curves, 
and the prophet by a perpendicular line 

The Answer to Prayer 
is represented by the sketch of a mountain top and a little 
cloud out over a simple representation of the sea, a perpen- 
dicular line representing the servant as he looks toward the 
cloud. 

spot looking like a cave on the side of another mountain. 

[These exercises on Elijah are especially good for infant 
class use.] 

Jerusalem. 

The simple outline of a place and its vicinity is easily made 
and very helpful in geographical and historical study. We 
give on the following page an outline of Jerusalem, with the 
temple most prominently in view, as a specimen. 

When the eastern plow, or the stones with which grinding 
was done, or the altar, or candlestick, or any other articles of 
household or temple use are mentioned, whose outlines are 
simple, they will be better understood than by any word de- 
scription if a Bible dictionary is examined and the outline is 
sketched on the board. 

I will briefly indicate liow some of these simple outline ex- 
ercises may be made for different themes without giving the 
cuts themselves. 



^Hf 



,<£/!& The Caye 

where he heard the still small voice is represented by a dark 



THROUGH THE EVE TO THE HEART. 145 

warning, " Go not," and also the words, "The end thereof," 
with a hand pointing to the end where are the words, 
" l)5Jth.* s,u " On one side of the way write, "Bread of wick- 
edness," "Wine of violence." Near the entrance of the right- 
hand way write, { " g ^J^ Through the midst of the 
^ay write, "The way of the just is as the SH'INING 
LIGHT," ("light" being near the end of the way.) Beyond 
it write, " PERFECT DAY." By the side of this path write, 
" Still waters" " Green pastures," indicated by a few simple 
lines and appropriate colors. Make a winding line leading 
across the way, and mark it "Jabbok," ns the wrestling place of 
prayer. Make also a lane across to " The Way of the Wicked," 
by which any can cross who will. On the other side make 
a lane leading into "By-path Meadow" and "Doubtijsg 
Castle," (simply outlined.) Other parts of the Bible and 
Pilgrim's Progress may also be used with this outline. At 
the corner print "CHOOSE YE." Below the outline write — 



WAL.K m TT 171 WAY. 
OBEY H II TRUTH. 

LIYt X J-l JU LIFE. 



Along the left-hand path, to represent the gradual increase of 

sinful habits, use the thoughts of the First Psa'm : " Walketh 

with unrighteous;" "Standeth with sinners;" "Sitteth with „ 

scorners." C'l^O" I ' 

The Loye of Money. zJf^^ 

Tell the story of Gehazi's sin. Have the text repeated, 
"The love of money is the root of all evil" 

Not money itself— we must have that and serve God with 
it. Earn it; get it honestly ; all you can, and use it for God. 
Little children can do that. The love of it, coveting it, is the 
evil root which produces only thorns. Did you ever see a 
thorn-tree — every branch with great needle-points sticking 
out in &11 directions? (If you can, show a large thorn or 
branch of a thorn-tree.) Draw on the board a ragged root, 
as if growing deep in the soil, write on its several parts, 

10 



146 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

"Love of money," " Root of evil." Above ground, make the 
branches sharp with thorns, writing on each branch as you 
question class, names of Gehazi's sins: "Coveting," "Lying," 
"Stealing," "Idolatry," "Profanity." (With colored crayon 
you can make a picture which, with forcible words, will make 
an enduring impression.) The verse says of money, "Some 
have coveted after and pierced themselves through with many 
sorrows." Did yon ever get a splinter or thorn in your flesh? 
Suppose you did not tell mother lest she hurt you in taking 
it out, bow it would fester and throb with pain ! So the 
wounds of thorns from the evil tree of tbis wicked root. A 
Jewish soldier, Achan, once saw and coveted and stole a royal 
garment, some silver, and a wedge of gold. He buried them 
under his tent, but God brought it all out, and said that his 
tent and all that he had must be burned with fire, and he be 
stoned to death. A man and his wife once kept back part 
of the money they had promised to God. How their hearts 
were pierced by his hand, for at the very door where they 
lied to him they both fell dead ! 

Who betrayed Jesus Christ? For how much ? How ought 
we to hate a sin that sold the dear Saviour. Are children ever 
tempted to covet, lie, or steal ? Is it wrong to wish for a 
marble, a knife, a doll's dress or hat, hide it away and then 
keep it for our own ? (Get remarks from the children upon 
such temptations.) Is it right to take a penny from papa's 
pocket, or a nickel from mamma's drawer? Are little sins as 
black in God's sight as big ones ? Do people begin to sin by 
doing some terrible wrong ? How do they learn? Years ago, 
in the State of Kentucky, a man was hung for highway rob- 
bery and murder. Before he was taken .out of the jail a 
minister said, " How did you ever come to do such awful 
things?" "O," he said, "it was just as easy. I know the 
very hour I began. When I was a little boy a peddler came 
to our house and I stole a paper of pins, and my mother hid 
them for me; I went on stealing, and here I am." That 
wicked mother ! If every stolen pin had been a spear, her 



X<o 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 147 

heart could not have been more pierced with sorrows than it 
was by the wretched life and death of that son. 

Where do all these wicked hearts go to at last? Outside 
that heaven we have learned so much about, shut oat, will 
be all covetous, thieves, whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 
How can we be kept safe from temptation and sin ? — Faith 
Latimer. 

//CL ' 
The Heart Vineyaed. 

Draw heart, surrounded by hedge. Inside heart, a vine, etc. 
Ask what a vineyard is; what the vineyard is we each are to 
cultivate for God. Answer being given, write Vin. of Ht. 
Draw out of scholars what the Vine in our heart is ; then 
what the fruits are. Ask what a hedge is. Used to keep out 
wild beasts ; God surrounds our heart with hedge of Bible 
truth to preserve the vineyard from the devil, who goes about 
like a roaring lion, seeking, etc. Show that we must open the 
hedge ourselves before he can get in. Then wipe off lower 
end of heart to illustrate our giving admittance to the Adver- 
sary. Let the blackboard eraser represent the devil, who 
enters through the opening, erases the vine and fruits, and 
fills the heart with SIN, which write in large letters. Ask 
which the scholars wish to have in their hearts, the Vine or 
the Devil ? See Isa. v, 4. — Rev. X M. Durrell. 

A similar use of the outline heart was made in an address 
of Rev. A. H. Brown in New Jersey. He began by drawing 
a semi-heart-shaped line on the blackboard, and then said : 
By means of that chalk-mark I lay hold of the faculties of 
your minds. Adults though you may be, I have gained your 
attention, nnd you are penciling the thought upon the retina 
of the eye, which is soon to be transferred to the mind's 
retina. I have excited your curiosity. But what have we 
here? Mr. Chairman, if you will permit me I will take a 
little liberty this afternoon. I will imagine this audience is 
an audience of children. If I were at home I would ask my 
scholars or class some questions, but I will forego these ques- 



148 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

tions to-day. We have here the outline of a heart marked 
on the blackboard — a mighty force-pump within us which is 
sending the bright-red current through our whole system 
even to the extremities : the hand, the face, are made beau- 
tifully red by this blood, even the hair is vivified by it. 
When I was a child I saw a little boy playing with his sister. 
They did not agree very well, and the little boy took a flat- 
iron and threw it at her. It laid her in death. What was it 
that caused that boy to throw the flat-iron ? Was it the blood 
in the hand? Little Charlie was out playing. His poor, sick 
mother wanted him to come in. She called him, " Charlie, 
come in." "I won't." The mother, enfeebled by disease, 
shut the window and retired. After awhile, Charlie, tired 
with his playing, came in. He retired for the night. During 
the night his heart pained him. He thought of the word he 
told his mother, and said, " I will ask her to forgive me." In 
the morning he ran to the door of her chamber and knocked, 
but there was no answer. He went up to the bed and cried, 
"Mother! mother!" No answer. "Mother! mother! mother!" 
No answer. The white hand lay on the coverlet, and he took 
hold of it to waken his mother, but she was dead. His heart 
was wrung with agony as he cried, a O mother! mother! I 
am sorry that I said, i I won't.' " What was it that made 
little Charlie tell his mother, "I won't?" Wa* it the blood 
in the lips ? iVb, it was sin, sin in the heart. This " sin " I 
write with the charcoal. Why? Because 5c soils. Sin 
soils. You can never play with sin, children, without pol- 
luting yourselves. Remember that sin pollutes even if you 
touch it. Now, we have sin in the heart. We don't want 
it there, and how shall we get it out? You cannot rub it 
out. By attempting to do so you only make the matter 
worse. I turn to God's word — to the first Epistle of St. 
John — and I read, " The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from 
all sin." Let us write that there. I take a piece of red 
chalk, and write over the letters in the heart, "The Blood 
of Jesus." I cover the word six all up, and it takes it all 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 149 

away. It washes it all out. Nothing else can do it. "There 
is no other name under heaven given to men whereby they 
may be saved." Now, children, if you want to do right and 
not to do wrong, you have only to get Jesus in your heart 
first. 

l$o Room for Christ. ( Eccles. xii.Tx 
Another heart outline may be made as follows : Draw a 
-house, seemingly dilapidated and old. Above the house a 
few stars and the moon with many clouds. Then bring out 
the meaning of Solomon's allegory of the old man as a house 
and its surroundings : 



" The keepers " — Hands. 

" The strong men " — Legs. 

" Grinders "—Teeth. 

" Windows " — Eyes. 

"Music " — Voice. 

" Almond tree " — White hair. 

" Desire " — Appetites. 



" Silver cord " — Nervous mat- 
ter in the spine. 
" Golden bowl "—Skull. 
" Pitcher and wheel " — Lungs. 
"Fountain and I 



ntain and ) 

jrn "— J 

"Long home" — Grave. 



, Heart. 
Cisterr 



Around the house make the outline of a heart. To this 
house that God built for his own dwelling Jesus comes and 
knocks. Our hearts should be like the cottage at Bethany, 
always open to the Saviour. He comes and knocks. Shall we, 
like many, open to him and " sit at his feet," or, like the 
Church of Laodicea, let Jesus stand without and knock ? 
Print "No Room for Jesus" across the picture, and after 
showing the ingratitude of such a course, erase " No " and 
leave it " Room for Jesus." Write also the motto within the 
heart outline : " Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I 
might not sin against thee." 

The Heart Made Right. 
We have compiled the following from an exercise of Dr. 
Vincent's and one by C. B. Stout : 



H6YLESS. 




^ 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



Jesus meets a leper: "helpless," because his disease is be- 
yond medicine; "hopeless," because there is little chance of 
recovery; "homeless," because even in sickness he is banished 
from his home, and none of his dear ones can administer to 
him. See, for further particulars, Bible Diction nry. Let a 
heavy straight line represent a leper. Jesus comes across 
him: intersect the first line so as to form a large white cross. 
Rub out " Less." Jesus' coming brings " Help, hope, home." 
The cross brings the same to us. Talk about the ancient 
shame of the cross, and how it became glorious. Then ascer- 
tain by questions that it is the symbol of Faith, and print an 
" F " on the board ; then put a semicircle at the bottom, to 
make it into an anchor, and ask the children what is thrown 
out in times of danger to hold the vessel ; ascertain that the 
anchor is the symbol of Hope, and print an " H " below the 
F ; then from the top of the cross carry lines in both direc- 
tions to the hooks of the anchor, making a heart which in- 
cludes an anchor and a cross. The heart is the symbol of 
Love. Write " L ;" then show that Love means Charity, and 
you have "F, H, L" — Faith, Hope and Charity, and as the 
heart is greater than the cross or anchor, so the greatest of 
these three qualities of heart is Charity, which includes both 
the others : " It hopeth all things, believeth all things." In- 
stead of a heart "Helpless, homeless, hopeless," and cursed 
with the leprosy of sin, we have now a heart with Faith, Hope, 
and Love filling it. Illustrate each step in the exercise.* 

The Book of Life. 

The "Book of Life" has been used in a great variety of 
blackboard exercises, the book being usually drawn on the 
board with two pages in sight. (A large blank book with 
some of the pages blotted, some of them neatly written, and 
most of them pure white, to represent the future, may well be 

♦Almost every religious subject bas some excellent illustrations in "Fos- 
ter's Cyclopedia of Illustrations." 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 151 

used with this subject. If it be New Year's, let the whole book 
be free from writing, with spotless pages.) On the book write 
" Book of Remembrance," or " Book of Life." Read Luke x, 
17-24. Now what shall the angels write on each day's 
page ? Let us see. Now let 



FIRST DAY. 

John wakes up ; calls to mind 
Jesus' love. 

John rises from bed. 

John prays to Jesus. 

John obeys and helps his 
mother. 

John goes to school and stud- 
ies well. 

John, coming home, sees some 
nice apples. 

John takes the apples. 

John confesses his sin to Jesus. 



us take one page. What 
were John's first thoughts 
when he waked ? What did 
he first do ? (And so on ; 
setting down on the black- 
board such acts as seem nat- 
ural for the class addressed. 
Some sin, not so gross as 
stealing, may be more appro- 
priate. Let this depend upon 
the state of the class.) 

When the prayer of confes- 
sion to God is offered, and fully explained, then rub out the 
sin he committed. If we confess our sins, God is just and 
faithful (keeps faith) to forgive us our sins. 

Draw a page for the second 
day, and send John back to 
the store to return the stolen 
apples, or otherwise make 
confession and restitution to 
the owner. 

I remember, years ago, when I was a school-boy, the teacher 
used to keep a little book with the name of each scholar in it, 
and a record of how we behaved, learned our lessons, etc. 
We received tickets according as we did well in these two 
things. At the end of the term she looked over this little 
book, and. the one who had received the largest number 
of tickets, and therefore had been the best behaved and most 
studious scholar, was presented with a prize. It depended 
upon what was down on the little book against our names 
which one should receive the prize. 





SECOND DAY. 




John 


prayed. 




John 


took back the 


stolen 


apples. 







152 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

I once went into a court-room. It was the last day of the 
trial of a man for stealing. The lawyer was reading from 
sheets of paper what different persons had said about the crimi- 
nal and his crime. What was written on these sheets of 
paper they called the evidence. The jury were listening to 
this evidence, and it depended upon what it was whether the 
criminal should be punished or not. Now let me take the 
Bible and read something that is very much like what I have 
been telling you about. Rev. xx, 11-13. Inforce these points: 
1. God keeps account of all we do. 2. We are to be judged, 
at the end of the world, according to this account. 3. JESUS 
ONLY can take away the sins wTitten against us in God's 
record. 

Seed-Thought and Illustrations for this Subject. 

Ambition of men to make their names famous ; to have their 
names among the lists of the brave, the learned, the honora- 
ble. Great sacrifices to secure this. How few names survive. 
Earthly fame perishable ; names and lists both soon for- 
gotten. But there is one imperishable record — the Book of 
Life. Names written there are not for time, but for eternity. 
A royal list of the King's friends. Ahasuerus, and the 
record of his reign. Names and deeds forgotten there ; but 
the Book of Life is a Book of Remembrance. How blessed 
the thought that Jesus knows his lambs by name. Not one 
shall be left out. None but his saints entered there. False 
estimate often made here, and names of unworthy entered. 
There, every unworthy name blotted out. "To him that 
overcometh." 

It is impossible for us to atone, or settle, the record of sins 
that God has against us. He knew this; and be u so loved 
the world — us — that he gave his ouly begotten Son," that by 
the shedding of his blood the great debt of sin might be paid. 
And Jesus permits us to use his name, so that if we come to 
God, humbly repenting our sins, and pleading the merit, sacri- 
fice, and name of our Saviour, "for his name's sake " we may 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 153 

be forgiven, and the great debt of our sins be wiped out. The 
third thing to remember, then, is, " Jesus only can take away 
the sins written against us in God's record." He alone can 
pay the debt for us. Pause for a moment and sing with me, 
" Jesus paid it all." 

And now let me tell you what idea a little mission Sunday- 
school boy in New York had about these great Record Books. 
He had learned to love Jesus at the Sunday-school. He was 
taken violently ill with inflammatory rheumatism, and though 
the pain was sometimes so severe that he was bent nearly 
double with it, yet he bore all patiently, speaking often of the 
worse pain Jesus had borne for him. At last the doctor had 
to tell him that he could not live, and at the end of a terrible 
pain he exclaimed, " Good pain ! good pain ! that takes me to 
Jesus." The good lady with whom he lived stood by, weep- 
ing to see him suffer so, and asked him if he was sure he 
should go and see Jesus. 

" O yes," said he ; " I shall be put in the ground a little while, 
and then God will come riding on a big cloud, and he will 
call, c John Dean, stand up ! ' and I shall come out of my grave, 
and stand up there before him : then he will take a big book, 
and turn over leaf after leaf till he comes to my page — every 
body has a page, and every time they sin God puts it down 
— but when he comes to my page he wont find any thing." 

"Why, John," said the lady, " have you never sinned ?" 

" O yes ; but Jesus went, a good while ago, and took the 
book out of God's hand — found my page, and then, opening 
a little hole in his hand, let the crimson drops run on the book, 
and with the other hand wiped them all down the page, so 
when God looks he will see nothing but Jesus' blood. ; Then 
he will say, c John, you go over there among the angels.'" 

These suggestions and illustrations are compiled from three 
exercises in "The Blackboard" for May, 1871, one of them by 
P. B. Hixon, another by Horace B. Smith, and the third by 
the editor. The familiar tract of the American Tract Society, 
" How it was Blotted Out," is a very excellent illustration for 



154 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

this subject. Also the following: An officer in one Af our 
hospitals was very sick, and not expected to live. One of the 
nurses in going her rounds heard a voice say " Here." Sup- 
posing it a call for her, she went to several beds, and at length 
to the officer, and said, "Did you speak ?" He opened his eyes 
w r ith a smile of joy and said, " O I thought I was in heaven, and 
they were calling the roll, and when it came to my name I said 
Here." If we would say " Here " in heaven we must also 
say " Here " to such " heavenly visions " as Paul's, which show 
what we must " do" and " suffer." 

The Scboll. 

Write on a scroll the words spoken at the Jordan, "This 
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The bap- 
tism at the Jordan was properly the inauguration of Christ's 
ministry. Earth greets him with the cry, "Behold the 
Lamb ! " Heaven echoes, " This is my beloved Son." Thus 
God gave Christ his credentials, while the Father's voice and 
the Spirit's presence centered around the other person of the 
Trinity, then " in the form of a servant." 

The Eastern scroll can be used in a great variety of ways 
on the blackboard to inscribe Bible promises, messages, titles, 
etc. Almost every passage beginning "Thus saith the Lord," 
could be thus used. The commission and promise of the as- 
cension, "Go ye into all the world," etc. ; the commission to 
Peter, "Feed my lambs," etc.; also in John xiv, 23, 27, or 
any of the messages sent from one to another in the Bible — 
all such as these may well be put on a scroll, and thus made 
more impressive. 

The Scroll of Wisdom. 

The following is another specimen. Make an opened scroll 
held by two hands. Across the right hand print " Length of 
Days ;" across the left, "Wisdom and Honor." On the mid- 
dle of the scroll, " Happy is the max that findeth Wisdom." 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 155 

Our Rock. 

Make the simple outline of a rock and above it write, " He 
brought honey out of the Rock." (The last word should be on 
the rock.) Or use some other of the many passages about 
"the Rock" that represent Christ. Illustrate, after explain- 
ing the symbol, (perhaps using a fragment of rock as an 
object-lesson with the outline,) with the following incidents: 

The Rock Fountain. — I was staying at a poor village near 
the sea-coast where the people had to bring all their water 
from a well. At all hours of the day little feet and great 
might be seen passing along a narrow lane, with every kind 
of pitcher, kettle, and can, to the well. 

" Is this well ever dry? " I inquired. 

" Dry ? Yes, ma'am ; very often in hot weather." 

"And if it dries up?" 

" Why, then we go to the spring higher up— the best water 
of all." 

" But if the spring higher up fails ? " 

"Why, ma'am, that spring never dries up — never. It is 
always the same, summer and winter." 

I went to see this precious fountain which " never dries up." 
The w T ater was clear and sparkling, running down the high 
hill with the steady flow and soft murmur of fullness and free- 
dom. It flowed down to the wayside, and was within reach 
of every child's little pitcher. The thirsty beast of burden 
knew the way to the spring that " never dries up." 

Thank God for the good gift of water. He who gave the 
Jews " honey out of the rock and oil out of the flinty rock " 
gives us the rock fountains of water on every hand. Under the 
ruby of the wine is hidden passion, crime, and death ; in the 
sparkle of water there is health, wealth, and purity. Happy 
is the man whose physical strength is founded on the Rock 
Fountain, whose political principles are built on Plymouth 
Rock, and whose faith has laid for its corner-stone the " Rock 
of Ages." 



ifo 



156 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

High up on the Rock. — Once upon a time there lived a 
powerful king, who reigned over a large and fertile country. 
He had crowns of gold and pearls, and scepters of ivory and 
precious stones. His treasury was full of the costly things 
of the earth ; tens of thousands of armed men were ready to 
obey his bidding, and his dominion extended from sea to sea. 
But without God's blessing worldly possessions are but an 
increase of care, and as this mighty monarch feared not God 
he was ever dissatisfied and unhappy. 

In the dominions of the king there lived a certain dervise, 
famed for abstinence, sanctity, wisdom, and piety ; and the 
king, willing to profit by the instructions of the holy man, 
paid him a visit. He found him in sackcloth, living in a cave 
surrounded with high rocks on the borders of a wilderness. 

" Holy man," said the king, "I come to learn how I may be 
happy." 

Without giving any reply, the dervise led the king through 
the rugged pathways of the place till he brought him in front 
of a high rock, near the top of which the eagle had built her 
aerie. 

" Why has the eagle builded her nest yonder ?" 

" Doubtless," replied the king, " that it may be out of the 
way of danger." 

" Then imitate the bird," said the dervise : " build thy throne 
in heaven, and thou shalt reign there unmolested and in peace." 

Now the king would have willingly given the dervise a 
hundred pieces of gold, if he would have accepted it, for this 
precious piece of advice. It may be as useful to you as to the 
king, for you are all as much interested in being happy as he 
was. As the eagle built her nest on the rugged rock, build 
your hope on the " Rock of Ages." As the dervise told the 
king to erect his throne in heaven, so I tell you to " seek those 
things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand 
of God. Set your affections on things above, not on the things 
of the earth." Do this, and you will be above the reach of 
danger for time and eternity. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEAKT. 157 

The Cup of Blessing. (Psa. xxiii, 5.) 

Draw outline of a cup upon the board. Question the pu- 
pils as to the various blessings received from God, and as the 
names are given write them on the cup, as, " Sunday-school, 
food, clothes, home, friends, Bible," etc. It is better, perhaps, 
to put only the initials of these answers on the cup. The 
" Suuday-school," w r ritten at the top, will cause the cup to 
overflow. Describe each soul as holding out a cup toward 
our heavenly Father, who daily fills it with mercies of in- 
estimable value. The obvious lesson of heartfelt gratitude 
will, of course, be earnestly impressed by the teacher. — James 
H. Kellogg. 

The Glory of Jesus. 

Print the word " Jesus " in large white letters. Represent 
glory with radiating lines of yellow, diverging in every direc- 
tion. Amid these lines print "Redemption," "Victory," 
"Rest," "Praise," "Holy Companionship," "Endless Joy," 
Zu Forever."— Selected. 

'Tis Buts. 

Draw a square box such as Sunday-school classes often 
use to keep their money in. Label it " 'Tis buts," and the 
following selected remarks will suggest what may be said 
about it. 

"'Tis but five minutes past time for school-call; I'm not 
very late," says the tardy school-boy. Yet it is an offense 
that, oft repeated, brings disgrace to that boy and a black 
record on his school report. 

"'Tis but a few cents a day I spend for my cigars or to- 
bacco," says the youth just merging upon manhood, who 
thinks that in order to be manly he must adopt the filthy 
habits of man. If this youth would take his pencil and figure 
up the amount of his His buts spent in this way for one year, 
then for ten years, we think he would surprise even himself. 



158 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

" 'Tis but a dime or two a day I spend for my ale or beer," 
says the " occasional " tippler. If he will take time to esti- 
mate the amount of these His buts for a few years, as they 
would appear on his bank book, if deposited in a savings bank 
instead of down his throat, we think he will see the truth of 
that old English proverb, " Pennies make pounds? or, "Take 
care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of them- 
selves." 

Take care of your His buts — in time, in money, in all things. 

The Shield of Faith. 
On a shield drawn on the blackboard place the following : 
* * * # # 

FAITH. 
To have FAITH is to BELIEVE: 
How ?— * F irmly. 
When ? — * A lways. 

(*I n God and 
In what ? j * T he Bible, 

' * H is holy word. 

Illustrate especially the need of firm, unchanging belief in 
God and the Scriptures. — Jas. JZ Kellogg. 

Overcoming. 

The passages in Revelation beginning "Him that over- 
cometh " may be grouped on a shield, three words being on 
a sword above it ("That" being on the guard and "Him — 
overcometh" on the handle and blade) and the remainder of 
each passage on the shield. 

Credo. 

It is snicl that an old knight had as the device and motto 
of his shield an open Bible and the word " Credo " — I be- 
lieve — below it. Make a shield with this device and motto, 
and by its side an acrostic, thus : 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 159 

I BELIEVE IN 

C hrist. 

Redemption. 

E verlasting Life. 

Duty. 

vercoming through Christ. 

The Crown of Life. 2^(Pl^ <, 

Make an outline crown with the word " Life " upon it, the ^^ 
rays diverging from it downward shining through the words 
"Tribulation," "Persecution," "Distress." Underneath, a 
sword, on the hilt of which is written u JSe; n on the blade, 
" thou faithful y " on the guard, "unto death" — Selected. 

The Light-house. ^cX 

A liglit-house in simple outline, with the upper light repre- 
senting Christ and the lower lights his people, can be used for 
many passages and teachings of the Bible, especially, " I am 
the Light of the world," and " Ye are the light of the world." 
A vessel or two, in the distance, and a few clouds, will improve 
the same. For illustrations see Foster's Encyclopedia, 3026, 
3027, 3040.— Selected. 

The Star in the East. 

George A. Peltz makes an impressive exercise by drawing 
a star with rays diverging across the blackboard, and below 
it the following: 



JESUS 



Rivers — Deserts | "ott'TDCjt A 
Dangers — Toils | r -EiJClDX^i.. 

Self-denial I oyvr 
Cross-bearing 0±IM . 



The star is above the word " Jesus," and the slanting rays 
fall through "Persia" and u Sin." 



The Boav of Conspiracy. (Dan. vi, 4-l Oj 

Draw the outline of a bow on the board with the word 
" Conspiracy " scattered letter by letter around the curve of 



Q$ 



160 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

the bow. The arrow ready to fly — on its head, "Jealousy." 
Along the arrow " Darius's Decree," the feathered end 
marked " Hate." One side of the string marked "Presidents, 
Princes;" the other side "Counselors, Captains." Opposite 
the bow draw a shield, marked, "His truth shall be thy shield." 
Against this, afterward, a broken arrow may be represented, 
and the bow may also be erased and a broken one take its 
place. Scripture references : " Above all taking the shield of 
faith." Eph. vi, 16. "The wicked have drawn out the sword, 
and have bent their bow" etc. Psa. xxxvii, 14. (J. M. D.) 

The Gospel Ship. 
' ' Draw an outline of a ship. Mark its sails "Faith," its 
lower edge " Works, ballast," its working rigging " Prayer," 
^A its prow " Perseverance," which is cutting through waves 

marked " World," " Flesh," u Devil ;" the rudder is marked 
" Love of Christ," and the bands that unite it to the ship, 
"Nothing shall separate us." The flag at the stern is a red 
cross on a white field, the halyards marked, " I am not ashamed 
of the Gospel of Christ." At the masthead is a signal flag 
(suggested by Nelson's) with the inscription, " God expects 
every man to do his duty." On the stern of the vessel are 
the name and place of building : " Gospel Ship — Heaven." 
The anchor is formed of a text thus divided : Cross bar, " If 
any man sin — ; " upright, " We have an Advocate with — ; " 
claws, " The Father." This exercise is taken mostly from a 
sermon of Rev. T. De Witt Talniage. 

The Promises— Our Mountain Tops. 
Taking Bible geographies or Bible dictionaries to get the 
ft general outline and shape of the following mountains, draw 
tfft them and connect them together, as if a group, with the in- 
scriptions indicated written upon them. Sinai — " Draw nigh 
unto God, and he will draw nigh unto you." (Incident of 
Moses.) Moriah— "God will provide." (Isaac.) Horeb — 
" Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HKART. 1G1 

thee." (The "still, small voice.") Carmel — "Whatsoever ye 
shall ask in my name I will do it." (The little cloud.) Zion — 
"They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion that can- 
not be removed, but abideth forever." Nebo — " There remain- 
eth therefore a rest to the people of God." (Moses' view of 
Canaan.) Olivet — " Him that cometh to me I will in nowise 
cast out." (The woman that was a sinner and had " much 
forgiven" at Bethany.) So these promises lift us above the 
dead level of earth " quite to the verge of heaven." 

The following extract from one of the sermons of T. De Witt 
Talmage may be used to illustrate this exercise : 

If a man has become a Christian, the thunders of Sinai do 
not frighten him. You have, on some August day, seen two 
thunder-showers meet. One cloud from this mountain, and 
another from that mountain, coming nearer and nearer to- 
gether, and responding to each other, crash to crash, thunder 
to thunder, boom ! boom! And then the clouds break and 
the torrents pour, and they are emptied, perhaps into the very 
same stream that comes down so red at your feet that it seems 
as if the carnage of the storm-battle has been emptied into it. 
So in this Bible I see two storms gather, one above Sinai, the 
other above Calvary, and they respond one to the other — flash 
to flash, thunder to thunder, boom ! boom ! Sinai thunders, 
" The soul that sinneth, it shall die ;" Calvary responds, " Save 
them from going down into the pit, for I have found a ran- 
som." Sinai says, " Woe ! woe ! " Calvary answers, " Mercy ! 
mercy!" and then the clouds burst, and empty their treasures 
into one torrent, and it comes flowing to our feet, red with 
the carnage of our Lord— in which, if thy soul be plunged, it 
shall go forth tree — free. 

The Altar of the Unknown God. 

Make the simple outlines of two altars. Over one print 

" Athenian's Altar," over the other "Paul's Altar." On 

the first inscribe " To the Unknown God ; " on the other, 

" To God that made the world, and all things therein." There 

11 



A*. 



162 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

are many passages in Hebrews where an outline altar might 
be used. — Selected. 

The Gospel Trumpet. 

Make the outline of a trumpet and inscribe on it, " Go ye 
into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." 
On the flag that hangs from it, Qt The blood of Jesus Christ 
cleanseth from all sin." — It. L. B. 

Looking Back from the Plow. 

Draw the outline of an Eastern plow, and, by the help of a 
Bible dictionary, ascertain its peculiarities. After explaining 
these write upon it, "No man having put his hand to the 
P*[ plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." Show 
that the Christian life means toork ; it must be our great 
work. Show how the sins of Eve, Cain, Gehazi, Lot's wife, 
and others, began with a look toward sin. As Cincinnati^ 
was called from the plow to be Dictator, so we are taken from 
the plow to be kings in glory. 

. The Christian's Rosary. 

Draw a string of beads large enough for a word or two on 
each bead. (A real rosary, Roman Catholic or Pagan, used 
as an object-lesson, will add to the interest of this exercise.) 
Write a name of Christ on each bead, "Jesus" being 
largest and most central. Go through the list, (not more 
than a dozen, and those the most familiar names of Jesus being 
taken, the children themselves telling you a name for each 
bead,) telling the meaning and especial blessedness or appro- 
priateness of each of Christ's names, closing with " Jesus." 
After each name is mentioned a familiar verse which contains 
that name may be sung. 

The Temple of Christian Character. 

Represent a house or temple built of large square stones, 
on each of which one of the qualities of Chrisiian character 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 163 

mentioned in Rom. xii may be written or indicated. On the 
foundation stone " Love," (v. 9 ;) on another stone " Abhor 
evil ; " another, " Cleave to good ; " and so on until the cap- 
stone is " Overcome evil with good." 

The Prodigal. 
Draw a large isosceles triangle, one point representing, with 
a sort of marsh about it, the " far country." The opposite 
line represents his home, the two lines that intersect at the 
far country being the roads by which the far country is reached. 
To get back he goes directly across from the far country to 
his home by means of a suspension bridge marked " Blood 
of Christ." He was " far off by wicked works," with a chasm 
between him and the Father ; he is " brought nigh " by Christ 
making his suffering body a bridge over the chasm. A house 
was burning, and a man made his body a bridge from one of 
its windows to the window of the next house, and although in 
great peril and pain, allowed all who were in the burning 
house to pass over to the other. 

Redeeming the Time. 
An admirable exercise for Watch Night or New Year's is % 
furnished by Rev. R. L. Bruce, who draws a metaphorical 
clock with the usual face and a winged hour-glass above it. 
Over the clock is written the passage, " Behold, now is the 
accepted time;" below it, " There shall be time no longer." 
On the frame-work of the clock opposite ihe numeral I, "Ye 
know not when the time is;" near III and IV, u Watch and 
pray ; " near VI and VII, " At evening time it shall be light ;" 
near VIII and IX, "The time is now far past;" near XI 
and XII, " The time is short." Then on the narrow rim of 
the dial, just outside the numerals, this passage: "The time 
cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in parables, but 
I shall show you the Father plainly." On the outer edge of 
the alarm dial, " It is high time to awake out of sleep ; " on m 
the short hand, "How short my time is; " on the long hand, 
"It is time to seek the Lord." 



r ' i: 



164 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

Illustrations. 

We give below two blackboard exercises that may be used 
to illustrate the simple use of blackboard outlines, at the same 
time affording seed-thought for addresses on the teacher's most 
important work and the mission of the Bible in the Sunday- 
school. 

The Conversion of Children. 

This is the great object of the Sunday-school teacher. So 
long as this is not gained, so long he must confess that he 
has failed of his mark. 

Draw the outline of a target, the center spot white, the 
first ring red, the next blue, the next black. The following 
extract, clipped from an address of Rev. Dr. W. M. Taylor, 
of New York; will show the application to be made : 

In a target there is a white center, surrounded by concen- 
tric rings of various colors — red, blue, and black. The archer, 
standing at a distance, takes his aim. If he hits the black 
ring — well, it is not a very bad shot, but it is not a success, 
either. If he hits the red one, that is not a success ; he is not 
satisfied until he hits the target in the white center. Just so 
m teaching the child, you have a central aim with concentric 
rings. One may be his understanding of the words of the 
lesson; another may be his understanding of the location 
of the places and the manners and customs of the peoples; 
but, at the same time, there is the white center, the conver- 
sion of the soul, and until we hit the target there we have 
failed as teachers. 

The Bible to Enlighten and Save. 

. •V^Draw in outline the pulpit or desk of the Sunday-school, 
surrounding it by waves, as if it were a light-house ; then draw 
the Bible at the top with rays of light shining from it, as if it 
* were the lamp. Write below the motto of the light-house on 
the coast of Cornwall, "To give light, to save life," and 
show that the use of the Bible in Sunday-school is not only to 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



165 




teach, but also to save the scholars. (Psa. xix, 7.) Other anal- 
ogies to the light-house will be naturally suggested. 

The Day Star. 

Under this title we give an exercise by Rev. T. B. Apple- 
get, somewhat modified from the original: 

In a recent talk to a Sunday-school I gave an account of a 

party who sailed to the Southern Ocean, where they remained 

some time ; told of their anxiety to get home, and of their 

joy when on their homeward trip 

their lookout reported the " Polar 

Star" in sight, etc. I explained 

the geographical position by a 

drawing on the board, thus — 

Showing how when they were at (1) they could see the star, 

but that at (2) they could not, on account of the earth, or world, 

which was composed of dense matter, such as rocks, soil, 

water ; these I wrote in the circle. I then called attention to 

Jesus as the "Day Star," and showed how "the world," by 

which we meant self, dress, wealth, pleasure, busitiess, etc., 

would get between us pynij 

and Jesus, so that we vnTTYP 

could not see him. At «V-*r ro I 

this time the board looks *AN. V 

like this : 

. Then I explained how we could subject these things- 

over or " overcome Tfl'P C9 k 

the world," bo that mQm ^ ^ff^ 

it should not inter- ., '_ 

SON 
fere with our relig- uvri . 

ion, and altered the 

illustration, as here : 

Two young men, one in rags, the other in purple, one amid 

husk^, the other "faring sumptuously," both felt the need of 

Christ's light in their hearts. " S.-lf, pleasure, wealth," were 

between the rich young man and Christ; the prodigal put all 




Jesus 



-come 




166 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



!'/"- 



:iv 



of self under his feet, and the light of mercy and love shone 
upon his heart. 

God Loved the World. 

J. C. Proctor has an exercise in which he represents the 

world resting on a block marked " Love " and that block on 

a threefold block 

marked " God " " GoD X^^^^w THAT *J E 

* 4.x, 4. 4-u so /^SffrHr^xS^^ gave His 

and that on noth- LQVED /^^^m^\ only be- 

ing. The outline of THE /y£Q2Mt^ gotten 

]' a hemisphere may 
be roughly drawn 
in the circle, repre- 
senting the earth 
and this passage 
arranged about it : 

" Jesus Only." 

This exercise we have revised from one given by Rev. C. 
W. Barnes : 

" Thinking upon this, I went by a blacksmith's shop, and 
in a wheel, leaning against a post, I saw a good illustration. 




THAT 
THE 



Moses 



SAIAH 



Elias 



Samuel 




John 
place in the hub for it. 



1. No matter how well 
the spokes might be fast- 
ened in the felloe, they 
needed to be morticed 
into the hub, every one. 
So all the books of the 
Bible are supported by 
Jesus. 2. No matter in 
what direction a spoke 
came from, there was a 
So every book testifies of Christ. 



Paul 



Peter 



Matthew 



3. As the spokes approach the hub they get nearer together 
until they are lost sight of in the hub. So as the books come 
to talk of Jesus, they become all one in Christ Jesus" 



2- /LLy *~* /" /2 " ^ l< ^f &' Z* -^-7 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



167 



Not only may this exercise be used to represent the unity 
ot the Bible in the cross, but also the unity of the Churches, 
by writing the names of Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Bunyan, 
Hooker, and three familiar names of evangelical preachers in 
the vicinity, in place of the Bible names above, and then 
showing how they all unite around the cross. 



The Two Ladders. 



a 



And he dreamed, and behold a ladder 
set upon the earth, and the top of it 
reached to heaven: and behold the an- 
pels of God ascending and descending on 
it.— Gkn. xxviii, 12. 



Her feet go down to death; her steps 
take hold on hell. -Puov. v, 5 ; Matt, vii, 
13; Isa. v. 14; Psa. ix, 17; Luke xvi, 24; 
Matt, x, 28. 



m$ §§*8M8l» fpMtt. The Ladder to Hell. 



Last 
Step. 



G-lory. 



Matt, xxv, 34 ; Psa. lxxiii, 24. 
Self-Denial. 



Luke ix, 23 ; Titus ii, 12, 13. 
"Usefulness. 



Eccles. ix, 10; 1 Cor. xv, 58. 
Obedience. 



2 Cor. x, 5; Isa. i, 19. 
Joy- 



John xvi, 22 ; Psa. xvi, 11. 
Hope. 



Rom. viii, 24, 25 ; 1 Pet. i, 13. 
Love. 



John xiv, 23 ; Uohn iv, 16-18. 
Peace. 



Isa. xxvi, 3 ; John xiv, 27. 
Faith. 



First] 

Step.f 



Rom. x, 17 ; Eph. vl, 16. 

Repentance. 



Luke xiii, 3; 2 Pet. iii, 9. 



First 



Disobedience. 



Rom. i, 30 ; Titus L 16. 

Lying. 



Rev. xxi, 8 ; John viii, 44. 

Sabbath-Breaking. 



Ezek. xxii, 8 ; xx, 13. 

Swearing. 



Lev. xix, 3 ; Zech. v. 3. 

Stealing. 



Lev. xix, 11 ; 1 Cor. vi, 10. 

Gambling. 



Luke xil 15 ; 1 Tim. vi, 9, 10. 

Drinking. 



Isa. v, 11 ; Prov. xxiii, 31, 32. 

Murder. 



Last 

tt^- 
Step. 



Gen. ix,6; Gal. v, 21. 

Despair. 



Prov. xi, 7 ; Job xi, 20. 

Destruction. 



Read 



2 Thess. i, 8, 9; Matt, xxv, 41. 
Deut. xxx, 19. —Selected. 



<£ 



,S 



168 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

The Ladder to Heaven. 

The ladder of Jacob's vision may also be represented, 
each of its rounds labeled with one of the virtues : Faith, 
Virtue, Knowledge, Temperance, Patience, 1 brotherly Kind- 
ness, Charity ; or with one of the fruits of the Spirit: Love, 
Joy, Peace, Meekness, Gentleness, Patience, etc. By these 
we climb to heaven. 

u Heaven is not reached by a single bonn<? r 
But we build the ladder by which we rise 

From the lowly earth to the vaulted skies r 

And we mount to the summit round by round. 

Or the prominent events of Christ's life may be written on the 
AklV^ in( ^ s ' ^ or ^ * s ky them that we climb up to God. Write, 

"Manger," u Carpenter's Shop," " Asleep," " Weary ," "Geth- 
semane," "Pilate's Hall," and on the highest round "Cal- 
vary." Jesus eries, "It is finished !" — the Jacob's ladder of 
the race, that shall enable them to reach heaven, is "finished." 
The top round should be in the shape of a cross. An acrostic 
' exercise may be made with "Satisfied," one letter for each 
round, "S" touching the earth, and "D" reaching into the 
clouds, SALVATION being the Hrst word, etc. The ladder 
may also be used 1 withTtom. v, 3^H1 Or the word "Death " 
may form aw acrostic for the rounds of the ladder: "Dying, 
Enriched, Angel's Food, Triumphant, Heaven." At the ba:*e 
of the ladder write "A little while;" above the ladder write 
" Evermore." If used for the death of a child, illustrate it by 
yTK^M-y the story of the chilji raised by Elisha,J2 Kings iv, ft/ete. 
Write above the exercise " It is well." 

One of the following verses may also be used on such am 
occasion on the board : 

From the group of little faces 

One is gone ; 
In the old, familiar places, 

Sad and lone T 
Father, mother, meek-eyed brother 
Sit and moan. 




THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART 



169 



Weep not when ye tell the story 
Of the dead; 

'TlS A SUNBEAM JOINED THE GLORY 
OVERHEAD, 

'For of such sweet ones is heaven," 

Jesus said, 



" Who plucked that flower? "' said the gardener 
As he passed through the garden. 
His fellow-servant answered ''The Master/' 
And the gardener held his peace. 

The baby wept ; 
The mother took it from the nurse's arms. 
And soothed its griefs and stilled its vain alarms, 

And baby slept. 
Again it weeps ; 
And God doth take it from the mother's arms, 

From present pain and future unknown harms — ■ 
And baby sleeps. 

The Shield of Faith. 
This exercise, by J. B. Phipps, of Indianapolis, can readily 
l»e understood by all : 



•& 



oVt RCOME S.N AND TEMPT AT;0/V 



r \ 



•& 









V | c J o i\Y ! f\ e Vv a r\D ! 

THROUGH OUR \-ORt> itSUS C)M\S1 



170 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 




The Prodigal's Return. 
The prodigal comes trembling toward his home, fearing 

the sword of justice; 
but the ring of love 
outweighs the sword and 
he is saved. 

The balances may be 
used in various ways, for 
example : 

" Jesus Only." 
Put in the outweighed 
side of the balances the 
words " Pleasure, Wealth, 
Fame." In the other the words " Jesus only," in the form 
of a cross. Jesus outweighs all. 

Lack of Love. 
Or illustrate Rev. ii, 4, by making the outline of the bal- 
ances, and put in the side that is up, 




THY 



WORKS. 

LABOR. 

PATIENCE. 

RIGHTEOUS HATRED. 



>N, 



$$> 



it 



In the other balance put the words " God's Requirements — 
Love." Then print above " Weighed in," and below " Found 
wanting of thy first love." 



The Bible Outweighs all Other Books. 

In the outweighed side of the balances put eight or ten 
books, with the motto beside them, " Of making books there 
is no end." On the other scale put the Bible, with the motto 
beside it, " Search the Scriptures." (E. L. H.) 

Things whose worth or desirableness are to be compared, 
things between which men hesitate to choose, and things that 
are to be tested, may be appropriately represented in the out- 
line balances. 



fatr^i 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



V ?-h 



171 



JUDGE 



dimply, 


Therefore, 


1 mplicitly, 


All 


Honestly, 


Things 


Tenderly, 


Whatsoever 


Slowly, 


Ye 


\ntelligently, 


Would 


devotedly, 


That 


Nobly, 


Men 


Ably, 


Should 


\Axnfully, 


Do 


Mercifully, 


To 


Openly, 


You, 


Cautiously, 


Do 


Sincerely, 


Ye 


\}nbiased, 


Even 


Soberly, 


So 


Exactly, 


To 


J ustly. 


Them. 



The Golden Rule. 

The accompanying 
selected outline and 
acrostic exercise may 
be developed with 
questions and illustra- 
tions, point by point, 
for an address or ser- 
mon. 

The uncharitable 
manner in which we 
often weigh and meas- 
ure each other is illus- 
trated by the wooden 
scales formerly used in 
Holland for weighing 
persons suspected of 
witchcraft. If they 
were lighter or heav- 
ier than the arbitrary 
standard they were 
condemned. 

Procrustes, the old 
persecutor, placed his 
victims on an iron bed- 
stead. If they were 
longer than the bed he 
amputated their feet ; 
if shorter, he stretched 
them to its length on 
the rack. 

Let all our actions 
be measured by the 
Golden Rule, which 
Jesus established. 



172 THKOt 



OUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



The Christian's Monument. 

The Christian's monument, as in the Catacombs, may be 
inscribed " Vivit" for " He lives" in a better and truer sense 




than ever before. The d.-iy of death anions the early Chris- 
tians was marked on the grave-stones "JSTatalis dies" " the 
day of birth." A dying girl, just before her death, looked 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



173 



upward and said softly, "Lift me higher! lift me higher!" 
Her parents raised her up with pillows ; but she faintly said, 
" No, not that ; but there!" again looking earnestly toward 
heaven, whither her happy soul fled a few moments later. On 
her grave-stone the words are carved, "Lifted higher." 

A German infidel had taught his family that man dies as the 
beast dies, and has no immortality. His daughter, dearly 
loved by her father, died. The custom in Germany is to put 
on the grave-stones at the top, " Hier ruhet in Gott" " Here 
rests in God ; " but, knowing he had not believed in immor- 
tality, those who made the stone came to him and asked what 
they should put on. He struggled in his thoughts for a few 
moments and then said sadly, " Write Hier ruhet in GottP 
Death had conquered his philosophy. "Him that overcometh 
will I make a pillar in the temple of my God." 



Our Monument of Victory. 



■**« 



Another exercise with a similar monument : make a pict- 
ure of Bunker Hill monument. #■ 
Near the top picture on its face 



a cross, with "Jesus" written 
at the center. Around it put 
the words, "In this sign con- 
quer." Below, in large letters, 
"Thanks be unto God that giv- 
eth us the victory through our 
Lord." Here picture the mono- 
gram of Christ, if familiar, other- 
wise write the words, "Jesus 

the 



WHEN I CRY UNTO 

THEE, 

then shall mine enemies 

TURN BACK; 
THIS I KNOW, 

For GOD is WITH ME. 



Christ." Below or beside 
monument make this banner 

This exercise may be used very appropriately in connec- 
tion with the altar inscribed " Jehovah Nissi," [My Ban- 
ner,) which Moses raised upon a hill, after Amalek had been 
put to rout. (Exod. xvii, 8-15.) 



X 












174 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

Satan and the Saviour. 



The following exercise is contributed by Rev. J. M. Free- 
man, and fully explains itself: 



^.ATAN, 

ft - THE 

ERPENT 

BROUGHT 

V V': 



JOHN -ill 14 ,5 \^l WIL^HAVEA 

ii-ad-k Javiour 

• and /Jr/ ■ ■ " 

\ LIVE #/ WHO BRINGS 



ALVATION 



Infant Class Blackboard Lesson : * 
Visit of the Wise Men to Bethlehem — Matt, ii, 1-12. 



^■jj-BXIl GUlDg OUB- G-UID^ 





TO JESUS. 



* In using this exercise the teacher can refer to several passages which 
speak of the Bible as a guide, as, for instance, Psa lm cxix, 105 ; and for the 
reverse refer to Prov. xxiii, 26, and parallel passages. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 
[Reverse.) 



175 



rjjUElR' GIFT. 

GOLD, 

Frankincense, 
Myrrh. 



OUR 

HEARTS. 



-D. B. H. 



Temperance Exercise. 



Temperance 









BITES 
STINGS 
KILLS 



—Mrs. Samuel W. Clark. 
Water and Rum. <p 

Draw a water pitcher, and make on it the following acrostic 
exercise : 

Watchful, 
A ctive, 
T ruth ful, 
E xc-ellent, 
R ich. 



176 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



Then draw some kind of a rum bottle or demijohn, and put 
on it the following : 

R uin, 

XJ pas, 

M urder, 
illustrating the danger of the cup by the story of the Upas 
tree. — Rev. J. M. Durrell. 



condemned to be hun<j. A 



The Steps to Ruin. 
A man had committed murder, was tried, found guilty, and 

few days before his execution, 
upon the walls of his 
prison he drew a gallows, 
with 4 /j?j€ steps leading up 
to it. 

On the first step he 
wrote, Disobedience to 
Parents. Solomon says, 
"The eye that mocketh 
at his father, and despis- 
eth to obey his mother, 
the ravens of the valley 
shall pick it out, and the 
young eagles shall eat 
it ; " that is, he shall per- 
ish by a violent death, he 
shall come to a miserable, 
wretched end. 

On the second step he 
wrote, Sabbath-breaking. 
God, in his command, 
said, " Remember the 
Sabbath day, to keep it 
holy." Visit your prisons and jails, and you will find that 
nine tenths of their inmates have begun their downward course 
by breaking this command. 




THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 177 

On the third step he wrote, Gambling and Drunkenness. 
The late Dr. Nott, having been a close observer of human 
events, truly says, " The finished gambler has no heart. He 
would play at his brother's funeral, he would gamble upon his 
mother's coffin." 

Several years ago a youth was hung for killing his little 
brother. When on the gallows the sheriff said, "If you have 
any thing to say speak now, for you have only five minutes to 
live." The boy, bursting into tears, said, "I have to die. I 
had only one little brother; he had beautiful blue eyes and 
flaxen hair, and I loved him. But one day I got drunk, for 
the first time in my life, and, coming home, I found him gather- 
ing strawberries in the garden. I became angry with him 
without a cause, and I killed him at one blow with a rake. I 
did not know any thing about it till the next morning when I 
awoke from sleep, and found myself tied and guarded, and 
w r as told that when my little brother was found his hair was 
clotted with his blood and brains, and he was dead. Whisky 
has done this. It has ruined me. I never was drunk but 
once. I have only one more w r ord to say, and then lam going 
to my final Judge. I say it to young people : Never, never, 
never touch any thing that can intoxicate ! " 

On the fourth step he w r rote, Murder. God's command is, 
" Thou shalt not kill." 

On the fifth step he wrote, The Fatal Platform. It is im- 
possible for us to form a correct idea of the thoughts that 
must rush through the mind of a man under such circum- 
stances : the disgrace and ignominy attached to his name ; the 
pains and agony of such a death; the want of sympathy in 
the community around him ; the fearful forebodings of his 
guilty soul at the bar of a holy God; 

Thus the way to the gallows is well represented by step?. 
How emblematic of sin ! Step by step the sinner goes on, 
until at last the "fatal platform" is reached, and he has to 
pay the penalty of his misdoing without a single chance of 
escape. 

12 



fct£T/(>:ii^ 



178 THROUGH THE EVE TO THE HEART. 

Saved Thkough Christ. (Heb. iv, 13-16.) 
The following exercise, contributed by Rev. J. S. Ostrander. 
illustrates at once several of the classes we have mentioned : 




The first thought to be impress-ed is, "All things are naked 
and open to the eye of Him with whom we have to do." The 
outline of an eye is made, and opposite is printed the word 
" Us." The rays from the eye pa^s to the top and bottom, 
and also to intermediate points of the word, because God sees 
us and knows us altogether. Then the words " Judges," 
"Excludes," "Searches," " Unvails," "Sees," are written one 
below another between the eye and the word " Us," each of 
them developed by questions and then explained. But we 
have "a High Priest, Jesus." Erase the words just written, 
except their first letters, and the word " Jesus " will remain. 
Then notice, God sees us through Jesus. Write "J" and 
"T" before and after "Us," and then it will be, God sees 
us just through Jesus. Illustrate this thought by the 
following incident : 

Little Alice was one of my Sabbath-school scholars — a fair-. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



179 



haired, blue-eyed little girl, whose beautiful face and sweet, 
winning ways made her a favorite with all. Methinks I can 
see now the soft, tender look of her mild eyes, fixed so ear- 
nestly upon me, as I endeavored to impress upon her open- 
ing mind the Gospel plan of salvation. 

One day I said to her : " Alice, what will you do when you 
die, and are called upon to stand before the judgment-seat of 
God, to answer for all the sins done here upon earth ? " 

Her face glowed with emotion as she answered, " Christ 
died for sinners ; I will hide behind him. God will not look 
at me ; he will look at Christ." 

Beautiful thought, to hide behind Christ, to lose ourselves 
in him, and, casting aside our own impure works, to rest 
solely and entirely upon his finished work for salvation! 

Illustrations of the thoughts that God sees, anvails, searches, 
judges, excludes, may be found in the following incidents of 
Scripture: 2 Kings v, 20, etc. ; Josh, vii, 1, etc. ; Acts v, 1, 
etc. : Matt, xxvi, 6-25. / — \ 



* - 

Christ The Door. — The Blackboard, {with changes, etc.) % 



(i 



I il THE 

NO MAN COMETH 
TO THE FATHER 
BUT BY ME." 



Life. 

Salvation. 

Happiness. 
EAVKN. 



"MOCK, 




*" 

K 



AND IT SHALL 
BE OPENED X T N 
TO YOU." 



At the beginning of the exercise " Now " should be written 
on the door in the center, and " Come unto me " on the steps. 



<s- 



ti& 



ISO THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

At the close erase " Now," and write " Too late " on the door, 
and "Depart from me" on the steps. 
ji^^RVnother exercise can be made with the door by letting it 
represent the door to our hearts. In place of the passage u I 
am the door," etc., write "I stand at the door and knock." 
At one side write "Be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors ; and 
the King of glory shall come in." On the door write "To- 
morrow ;" on the steps write " No admittance except on 
business." Read the passages on the heart's entrance. Sing 
u Let the good angels come in," and let some one read or 
speak the following : 

To-Morrow. 

Lord, what am I, that, with unceasing care, 

Thou didst seek after me — that thou didst wait, 
Wet with unhealthy dews, before my gate, 
And pass the gloomy nights of winter there? 
strange delusion that I did not greet 

Thy blest approach ! and 0, to Heaven how lost, 
If my ingratitude's unkindly frost 
Has chilled the bleeding wounds upon thy feet I 
How oft my guardian angel gently cried, 

"Soul, from thy casement look, and thou shalt see 
How He persists to knock and wait for thee ! " 
And 0! how often to that voice of sorrow, 

"To-morrow we will open," I replied, 
And when the morrow came I answered still, u To-morrow." 
'IL4^2& ' —Longfellow. 

Illustration. 

"Lie By Till Morning." — Does the reader remember 
the loss of the vessel called the "Central America?" She 
was in a bad state, had sprung a leak and was going down, 
and she therefore hoisted a signal of distress. A ship came 
close to her, the captain of which asked, through the trumpet, 
" What is amiss ? " " We are in bad repair, and are going 
down ; lie by till morning," was the answer. But the captain 
on board the rescue-ship said, "Let me take your passengers 
on board now." "Lie by till morning," was the message 



o^ 



THROUGH THE EVE TO THE HEART. 181 

wliich came back. Once again the captain cried, " You had 
better let me take your passengers on board now." " Lie by till 
morning," was the reply which sounded through the trumpet. 
About an hour and a half after the lights were missing, and 
though no sound was heard, she and all on board had gone 
down to the fathomless abyss. O unconverted friends, for 
your souls' sake do not say "Lie by till morning." To-day, 
even to-day, hear ye the voice of God. 

The Rainbow 




"As in the days of Noah so si. all the coming of the Son of 
m:»n be." 

1. The deluge of wrath shall co-re suddenly. 2 Pet. ii ; , 10. 

2. '-Preachers of righteousness " shall warn and invite all 
to be saved from it. Rev. xxii, 10-12, 17. 

3. Christ is our ark; "a hiding pi iee from the wi.id and a 
covert from the tempest." Amid the storing of life we are 
"hid with Christ in God." Jesus gives us the olive b anch ; 
"My p- ace I give unto you," by the "Holy Spirit, heavenly 
dove." lie " shuts us in" from danwr. After the "labor" 



182 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEAKT. 

of life we " enter into rest," as Noah's household rested on 
Ararat after long days and nights of tempest ; then the 
"rainbow round about the throne" shall indicate that "there 
remaineth a rest to the people of God." Only those in the 
ark " saw the bow in the cloud," and only those who are in 
Christ shall see " the rainbow round about the throne." John 
iii, 3. 

4. As the wicked of Noah's day climbed the mountains to 
avoid the angry waters, so at the coming of the Son of man 
they shall cry out for u the rocks and hills to hide them from 
the wrath of the Lamb." But "none other name is given 
under heaven among men whereby we may be saved," except 
the ark of Christ. 



"COME THOU INTO THE ARK." 



5. The change. The transient rainbow of earthly hopes 
shall be transfigured into the perpetual " rainbow round 
about the throne ;" the stormy sea of life shall be calmed by 
the " Peace, be still " of Christ, into the eternal " sea of glass." 
As Noah came from the ark, and built an altar of thanksgiv- 
ing on the mountain, so God shall show us the meek and lowly 
ark of Nazareth, that was t; without form or comeliness," re- 
built into a golden altar for our perpetual worship. 

If you are not " in Christ," you can see in death only the 
throne of justice, no rainbow of hope. But the Christian 
fears not a the dark waters." A sailor, in the midst of a ter- 
rible tempest, w r as asked why he was not terrified like the 
others. " O," said he, "if I sink into the waves I shall only 
fall into the hollow of my Father's hand, for he holds all the 
waters there." A Christian woman and her child having 
been wrecked, were floating about on the spar to which they 
were lashed, with little hope of rescue. As a boat at length 
came toward them, the s&ilors, long before they could dis* 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



183 



tinguish the woman's form, heard these words coming up 
th rous:! i the dashing waves: 



" Jesus, lover of my som, 

Let me to thy bosom fly. 
While the waters near me roll, 

While the tempest still is high ; 
Hide me, 0, my Saviour, hide," etc. 

These persons were peaceful because they were in the ark. 
Like them, let us remember, 

li Other refuge have I none ; 

Hangs my helpless soul on Thee," etc. 

Ere " the door is shut " Come thou into the Ark, and then, 
when all the storms of life are past, we can sing as we near 
the heavenly mountains of rest : 

" ' Land ahead ! ' its fruits are waving 

O'er the hills of fadeless green: 
And the living waters laving 

Shores where heavenly forms are seen. 

" Rocks and storms I'll fear no more 
When on that eternal shore. 
Drop the anchor! furl the sail! 
I am safe within the vail! " 



Christ in All the Scriptures and in All Time. 

I. Christ is in all time, before all time, and after all time: 
"From everlasting to everlasting." "He was before* all 
things,'' " and his throne is for ever and ever." He is " Alpha 
and Ome^a, the beginning and the ending, the first and the 
last." The hour-glass representing time, all above it repre- 
sents the eternity "before his works of old ;" all below it that 
which shall be when " time shall be no longer." 

II. Christ in " all the Scriptures." Luke xxiv, 2 7. un the 
upper border of the hour-glass, which indicates the beginning 




184 



THROUGH THE E\ E TO THE HEART. 



"Ff^om Everlasting" 

liliiiPiiMiLiiijii^ 



v^igg 






^JUDAH * 

N& DAVID j^p 



^t?art# 



of time, begins the Bible record. The heavens and the earth 
have only one verse /.then the earth at large only forty-four 

verses, and from 
that point the his- 
tory narrows itself 
to the Messianic 
line. Seth, Noah, 
Abraham, (first 
covenant,) Judah, 
David, (second 
covenant,) Mary, 
and then JESUS. 
The symbols on 
the one hand, and 
the prophecies on 
the other, also point 
toChrist. Thusthe 
entire Old Testa- 
men t n arro w s from 
" the heavens and 
the earth " to the 
little manger at 
Bethlehem. Bnt 
when Christ comes 
it broadens : " Je- 
rusalem, Judea, and 
Samaria, the utter- 



ms 



jQERUSAitiyK 
A^fRMOST^ 



* ^EW HEM" 

ANDTHE 

NEW EARTH 

TO EVERLASTING' 



/THY THRONE 

' O God is 



'FOR EVER AND EVER. 



most parts of the earth." Acts i, 8. 

At the end of time (lower rim) "his dominion shall be 
from sea to sea." An 1 when '• time shall be no longer," the 
" new heavens and the new earth," corresponding with 
'• heavens and earth " at the top. 

" Because lie never comes, and stands, 
And stretches out to me both hands; 
Because he never leans before 
The irate, ivlleii I set wide the door 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 185 

At morning, or is never found 

Just at my side when I turn round, 

Half thinking I shall meet his eyes, 

From watching the broad moon-globe rise — 

For all this shall 1 cease to pray, 

And let my heart grow hard, and say : 

4 He perished, and has ceased to be ; 

Another comes, but never he? ' 

Nay, by our wondrous being, nay 1 

Although his face I never see 

Through all the infinite To Be, 

I know He lives and cares for me." 

The symbols and metaphors of the Bible may be outlined 
on the board, or used as symbol exercises, and the following 
table may also suggest many exercises to the thoughtful 
teacher, both for this division, " Outline Exercises," and also 
for " Symbol Exercises : " 

Table of Symbols, 
partly of new, partly of primeval significance. 

The Hieroglyphical Language of the Universal Church 
during the early ages. 

Heaven is symbolized by the segment of a circle, some- 
times of pure blue, sometimes edged with the thin colors of 
the rainbow. 

The Universe by a globe, usually of deep blue. 

God the Father by a hand issuing from the preceding 
symbol of Heaven, Ezck. ii, 9 ; viii, 3. 

God the Son by the monogram formed of the \"T^ 
initial letters of the name Christ in Greek: also by 
the Cross, although this was more correctly the 
symbol of salvation through the atonement; also by a rock, 
1 Cor. x, 4; Exod. xvii, 6; also by a lamb, Isa. lvii, 7; fre- 
quently with a glory and carrying a cross ; also by a pelican, 
Psa. cii, 6 ; also by a vine, John xv, 1, etc. ; also by a lamp 
or candle, as ? the light of the world," John ix, 5 ; also by a 




186 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

fish, suggested by the word lx® v Si frequently found in the 
Catacombs, acrostically formed from the initial letters of the 
titles of Our Saviour, 'Irjoovg Xpt.ordg Oeov vldg Icorrjp — Jesus 
Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour. 

God the Holy Ghost by the dove, usually bearing the 
olive branch ; also by water issuing from the beak of the dove, 
or rising as a fountain from a vase, as the u well of water 
springing up into everlasting life," John iv, 14 ; also by a 
lamp or candlestick, seven of which ranged to the right and 
left of the altar in the old mosaics, signify the gift of the 
Spirit. Rev. i, 12 ; iv, 5. 

The Holy Trinity by the three-colored rainbow encircling 
our Saviour, the visible form or image of the Deity, and who 
sometimes is represented seated upon it, Ezek. i, 28 ; Rev. 
iv, 3 ; also by three beams of light radiating from the head 
of Christ ; also by the extension of the thumb and fore and 
middle fingers of our Saviour's hand, as held up in the 
western form of giving the benediction. 

Paradise by a mountain, in conformity with the traditions 
of almost all nations. 

Satan by the serpent. 

The Obedience and Atonement of Christ by the cross, 
sometimes plain, sometimes richly gemmed, occ isi onnlly with 
loses or flowers springing from it. 

The Course of Human Life by the sun and moon. 

The Church, in her general character, by a mountain, as 
typified by Paradise, and in allusion also to Dan. ii, 34. 

The Church Militant by a female figure standing, with 
her hands raised in prayer; also by the vine as " brought out 
of Egypt," Psa. lxxx, 8 ; Isa. v, 1, etc. ; also by a vessel in 
full sail — an emblem originally heathen, but naturalized and 
carried out in the most minute and fanciful particulars by the 
Latin Fathers. 

The Church Triumphant by the New Jerusalem, the city 
of the Apocalypse, Rev. xxi and Ezek. xlvii — frequently 
identified with the original palace in Eden. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 187 

The Two Covenants, the Old and New Testaments, by 
the H Wheel in the Middle of a Wheel," Ezek. i, 16. 

The Sacrament of Baptism, by water poured out on the 
eross by the dove. 

The Lord's Supper, by ears of corn or loaves, and grapes 
or vases of wine. 

The Apostles, by twelve sheep or lambs, usually repre- 
sented issuing from the cities of our Saviour's birth and death, 
Bethlehem and Jerusalem, and approaching a central lamb, 
figurative of Christ, standing on the Mount of Paradise. 

The Evangelists, by the four mystic animals described 
in Rev. iv, 7 ; Ezek. i, 10, and x, 14, the angel being usually 
assigned to St. Matthew, the lion to St. Mark, the ox to St. 
Luke, and the eagle to St. John : also by the four rivers issu- 
ing from the Mount of Paradise, " to water the earth," Gen. 
ii, 10. 

The Faithful, by sheep as under the charge of the Good 
Shepherd, Christ, John x, 14 ; xxii, 15, etc. ; also by fish, as 
caught in the net of the Gospel, Matt, xiii, 47 ; Mark i, 17 ; 
Ezek. xlvii, 9, and new-born in baptism ; also by doves 
other birds, designs of a loftier and purer element, either 
eating grapes or ears of corn as figurative of the Eucharist, 
or drinking from the vase and fountain, emblematical of 
Christ, or holding branches of olive in their beaks and re- 
posing on the cross : also by stags at the well or water brook, 
Psa. xlii, 2 ; also by date trees or cedars, trees of righteous- 
ness planted by the waters and beai'ing fruit in their season, 
or Psa. i, 3; xcii, 12; Isa. lxi, 3; Jer. xvii, 8; also by 
little children or genii sporting among the vine leaves, or 
plucking the fruit, and after death, with the wings of Psyche, 
or the butterfly. 

Sanctity, by the nimbus, a circlet of glory round the head, 
a most ancient symbol, being common to the religions of India, 
Persia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, from the latter of which it 
was adopted by the early Christians. 

Faith, by the various symbols of the faithful just mentioned. 



188 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

Hope, by the anchor, Heb. vi, 19. 

Charity, by a heart. 

Purity, by the lily. 

Incorruptibility, by the Rose of Sharon. 

Watchfulness, by the cock. 

Victory, by the palm branch, Rev. vii, 9, or wreath or 
crown such as was given to the conqueror in the arena, 1 Cor. 
ix, 25, etc. 

Peace, by a branch or leaf of olive, borne by the dove, 
symbolical either of the Holy Spirit or of the believer, accord- 
ing to circumstances. 

The Resurrection, by the phenix and the peacock, which 
latter loses its beautiful plumage in winter and recovers it 
in the spring. 

Eternity, by a ring or circle of peace, glory, etc., accord- 
ing to the emblematical import of the material of which it is 
composed, and within which are frequently inserted the sym- 
bols of our Saviour, the Church, etc. 

Eternal Life, by the mystic Jordan, the "river which 
maketh glad the city of God," formed by the junction of the 
four evangelical streams, descending from the Mount of Para- 
dise, and in which souls, in the shape of little children, are 
sometimes seen swimming and sporting, precisely as they 
figure in the mystic Nile, in the tombs of the Pharaohs. 

The above table, taken from " Sketches of the History of 
Christian Art," an excellent work written by Lord Lindsey, 
is a complete alphabet of the art language of the early Church. 
In almost every case the symbols are derived from the Bible, 
and form a real alphabet for the eye-teaching that was then 
so common. 

These symbols were grouped in countless comomations, as 
we combine letters in words. A hand and the symbol of 
heaven meant " Our Father in heaven." Any of the sym- 
bols of Christ with Alpha and Omega on its right and left 
meant that Christ was "the First and the Last," The fi>h 
svmbol and the lamb together indicated his divinitv and sac- 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 189 

rificial character. Faith, hope, and charity, the cross, anchor, 
and heart, were sometimes mingled. The ring of eternity 
with the symbol of God or Christ or the Church within, indi- 
cates the eternity of that included. In che paintings, sculpt- 
ure, inscriptions, votive offerings, these symbols were con- 
stantly combined into significant forms. In our language 
to-day these symbols still linger as metaphors. 

This table may serve, with a little throwing out of fanciful 
and useless symbols, and with the symbolism of the tabernacle 
added, as an alphabet for the eye-teacher in object and black- 
board teaching. A careful study of the table will suggest 
many useful exercises to be made by modifications and com- 
binations. To complete the eye-teacher's alphabet we add 
the symbolism of color, as it has been beautifully brought out 
in connection with the twelve colors of the heavenly wall, in 
Rev. xxii, 19, 20. 

1. Jasper, (crimson,) passion, suffering. 

2. Sipphire, (blue,) truth, calm. 

3. Chalcedony, (white,) purity. 

4. Emerald, (green,) hope. 

5. Sardonyx, (mixed color,) tenderness and pain and puri- 
fying- 

6. Sardius, (blood-red,) love, including anguish. 

7. Chrysolite, (golden green,) glory manifest. 

8. Beryl, (serenest blue,) bliss. 

0. Topaz, (flame,) joy of the Lord. 

10. Chrysoprase, (azure,) peace that passeth understanding. 

11. Jacinth, (purple,) ) r r , 

„ rt A " '; / V x \ promises of future glory. 

12. Amethyst, (purple,) ) r s J 

Of course, only a part of these colors can be used by the 
blackboard delineator, and he cannot always u^e them with 
their appropriate symbolism ; but colors have always been 
types, and some understanding of their import is almost a 
necessity to any one who would use the blackboard successfully. 

The symbolism of color is still more exhibited in Mrs. Jame- 
son's " Lt'gendarv Art." 



190 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



Thus we have spoken of the seven departments of eye 
teaching. They should ever be as the seven golden candle- 
sticks of Revelation, not attracting the eyes of men to them- 
selves, but only revealing the glory of Him who cried from 
their midst, 

"I am Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and the End- 
ing, The Fiest and the Last." 




APPENDIX 



FOR PRIMARY-CLASS TEACHERS. 



MRS. W. F. CRAFTS. 



APPENDIX. 



EYE-TEACHING IN THE PRIMARY CLASS. 

It is an acknowledged fact that a child is more the creature of 
observation than of reflection. Observation may be a simple 
act of perception, while reflection is the act of continuing 
thought upon any one subject. 

We would not say that a child never reflects, but his habit 
is rather to observe, than to lay up a store of facts for future 
reflection: therefore reflection is a more mature development 
of the mind than observation. 

When a child recognizes a fact as the result of a purely 
mental process we are surprised, and call it precociousness. 
Little Fred had heard his mamma read that beautiful poem 
entitled " Katie Lee and Willie Gray," in which occurs the 
following couplet: 

" Men are only boys grown tall; 
Hearts don't change much after all." 

Several weeks after, without question or suggestion from 
any one, little Fred said, " If men are only boys grown tall, 
my papa is a boy." The effect of such an assertion was 
startling coming from the lips of a child five years of age. 
Why? Because the reflection it involved was unusual. 
When should we expect a child to begin to reflect ? Not as a 
sudden development, like the unheralded flash of the meteor, 
but rather as the faint glimmering of light momentarily in- 
creasing in intensity and presaging the glorious dawn. 
Dawning intelligence gathers brilliancy after each exercise of 
the observing faculties. This is the child's time for reflection. 
Unlike his elders, his meditations are dependent upon his sur- 

13 



194 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

roundings. With a child reflection is rarely isolated from 
observation. A faithful teacher will strengthen this habit. 
Many ludicrous theories and false dogmas owe their existence 
to the fact that this point has been too much neglected by 
educators in the past. In truth, so far has prejudice prevailed 
thnt men have met martyrdom for daring to express thoughts 
which were the results of observation. Memory does not 
have to go very far back to reach the time when the system of 
teaching in our public schools almost totally ignored the con- 
stitution of the child's mind in this regard. Neither is the 
error wholly obliterated. Under a wrong system pupils are 
required to commit to memory the rule or text which shall 
afterward be " explained " or not. as opportunity offers. 

Preferable, indeed, is the plan of leading the child through 
gradual and easy steps, with effort on his own part to acquire 
the idea of the rule or text. After this, if the language he 
uses to express his thoughts is not choice, that of the book 
may be substituted. We may doubt that a pupil understands 
what we endeavor to put into his mind by telling him, but the 
facts which are evolved from his own consciousness we may 
know he has fully made his own. 

The Sabbath-school teacher adopting this method should 
always finally substitute the exact language of the Book — 
therein we are forbidden to either take from or add to its 
words. 

God deals with men as with children. In former days they 
were made daily to observe wondrous exhibitions of his 
power exercised in their behalf, as the Shekinah, the falling of 
manna, water being drawn from hard, dry rocks, etc. And 
to-day God does not ask man to reflect upon his wondrous 
love without the exercise of observation. Witness each 
heart, your daily preservation, the beneficent accommodations 
of nature to your states; but, beyond all, the gift of the be- 
loved Son, in whom you may observe the attributes of a mer- 
ciful God and a loving Father. 

A person desiring to tit himself to be a teacher of youth, either 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 195 

in the secular school or the Sabbath-school, can have no better 
course of training than to do faithfully two things: 1. To 
attach himself lovingly and companionably to a bright child, 
observing the working of his mind in play. 2. To study 
God's way of revealing himself to man, since he, indeed, is 
the highest form of all truth. Such observations may become 
crystallized into the truisms of a method which shall become a 
guide in all efforts to instruct. Teachers of Normal classes 
will have accomplished but little until they have imbued 
* fc pupil teachers " with the Spirit of truth-seekers along the 
two channels named. 

Infant-class teacher, are your instructions true to the 
natural law, that with a child reflection is largely dependent 
upon observation? If such is the case, you are hardly ac- 
customed to give your little ones ** hard pellets of doctrine " 
in the form of an assignment of verses to learn, until you 
have rendered them soluble by device of illustration which 
may be dictated by your love and understanding of child- 
hood, guided by a sanctified judgment. * 

Accepting the following facts— (1) that a child is the 
creature of observation ; (2) that his habit of observing col- 
lects a fund of knowledge upon which he may afterward 
reflect; (3) that with a child reflection is dependent upon 
observation — it becomes patent that one who would teach the 
young should thoroughly understand the observing facul- 
ties. Mind comes in contact with matter through the five 
senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. The power of 
the mind to gain knowledge through these i\ve channels is 
called the observing faculty. As the mind of the child is 
most approachable through this faculty, a very important 
question for the teacher to decide is, through which sense 
does the mind receive the most complete images? It would 

* We should advise the person investigating methods to rea-d some works 
on Mental Philosophy, such as '■ The Human Jntellect," by Professor Porter, 
or Bain's "Senses and the Intellect." 



196 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

be impossible to educate wholly through one sense, because 
objects possess many attributes, all of which cannot be 
recognized by any one faculty ; but this does not preclude 
the practicability of giving use to one sense above that of the 
remaining four senses. This question might be tested by 
considering a group of five persons, each possessing but one 
of the five senses, and no two of them having the same sense. 
Which one would have the most intelligent general ideas of 
things ? It seems hardly a debatable question. In touch 
and taste sensation is limited to actual contact with the ob- 
ject. In smell the object must be near. But that is the case 
with neither sight nor hearing. How much wider, then, is the 
plane of their possibilities ! To make a still further compari- 
son now between sight and hearing, experience has proven 
that the eye may take in at a glance mile upon mile of the 
widely-stretching prairie land, or it may scale the lofty ranges 
and peaks of distant mountains, existing so far removed in 
space that the million voices of life which continually make 
the air resonant are entirely lost to the ear. We claim for 
sight superior power to any one of the other senses. Let the 
comparison be continued by considering the attributes of ob- 
jects discovered by each of the senses. 

Smell — Odor. 

Taste — Flavor. 

Touch — Form, weight, states of being, solid or liquid. 

Hearing — Sound, distance, and size, (but imperfectly.) 

Sight — Form, color, size, place, distance, weight, (but im- 
perfectly,) states of being, solid or liquid. 

If the group of five persons before mentioned should fur 
the first time be brought into contact with a tree, according 
to the comparison just made between the powers of the 
five senses, it is evident that the most intelligent idea of the 
tree would be gained by the person gifted with sight. 
Teachers have come to recognize the invaluable aid of the 
eye in their work, and as a result we meet such aphorisms as 
the following : 1. " The impressions which come to us through 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 197 

the medium of the eye are ordinarily more distinct and relia- 
ble than those which come through hearing." 2. kt Truths 
associated with familiar objects are made plainer to the mind 
and held longer in the memory than when they are taught ab- 
stractly." 3. " The unseen must be represented by the seen." 

Two of the most popular lecturers of the day, Prof. Agassi^ 
and Prof. Tyndall, so fully appreciate the advantages of eye- 
teaching that they have become noted for their almost 
miraculous drawings during lectures. They thus electrify 
their audiences to an extent that one not having felt the in- 
fluence can hardly appreciate. Through the eye they »have 
been enabled to bring within the grasp of ordinary intelli- 
gence facts which are the results of the persevering labor of 
gigantic minds. Wishing again to refer to the subject of 
drawing as a department of eye-teaching, we will pass over it 
for the present. 

Although we have given prominence to sight above the 
other senses, it would be folly to urge that it should be the 
only sense addressed. To do this would bring the teacher's 
work down to the level of mere pantomime. We have placed 
so much of emphasis on the comprehensiveness of sight more 
to prove what a valuable aid eye-teaching may become to 
method rather than a method complete in itself. Neither do 
we urge that all illustrations shall address the eye. Of course, 
" the more senses employed the clearer the perception." It is 
not within the province of our present writing to plead for 
the exercise of the senses of smell, touch, and taste, but of 
sight alone. No one will deny that ordinarily a soul must 
hear the message of God to be able to take hold upon salva- 
tion, and the only place we ask for eye-teaching is that it may 
accompany the preached word. 

The question next arising is, How may eye-teaching accom- 
pany word-teaching? Dear reader, imagine yourself in the 
country, and about setting out to walk to the distant home 
of a friend. The main highway leading there, in its monotony 
and many windings, would become tedious in the extreme ; but 



198 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

if along the side there should be inviting fields, whose grassy 
surface is covered with mosaics of violets, harebells, anemones, 
and daisies, forming diagonals in your journey, they would be 
most grateful to you both in shortening and relieving the 
tedium of your way. To leave the highway to wander, at the 
beck of the goddess of pleasure, through those bright fields, 
would only deter you from the accomplishment of your jour- 
ney ; but when your direct way should lead through them, to 
follow it would only speed you on. Eye-teaching bears to 
word-teaching something of the relation of the fields adjacent 
to the highway. At times the eye becomes a shorter and 
more direct path toward truth than the ear. To use the 
method simply to please the child is to abuse it. 

Language has been described as " fossil pictures/' A person 
cannot so fully comprehend the beautiful points of a picture by 
being told what they are as he could do by seeing the picture 
himself. We would say, then, to the teacher, never use " fossil 
pictures" when you can have the real pictures. Never 
attempt to describe an object when the object itself may be 
procured. We would say to the traveler on the highway, 
Enter the fields when you can do so to your advantage, other- 
wise you had better not enter; and to the teacher, Teach 
through the eye when you can, by thus avoiding the monotony 
of wordiness, make a direct line from truth to the child's 
understanding, and not through pleasure of the method lose 
sight of the grand truths to be inculcated. 

It is well understood that eye-teaching accompanied many 
of our Lord's teachings, and as the Bible is a record of the 
wonderful lessons he has taught man, it is to the Sabbath- 
school teacher the very best source from which to gather 
suggestions for illustration; and, too, the created world is 
full of hints. God is now daily and hourly teaching man 
lessons. * 

* A concordance is invaluable to a person searching the Bible for illustra- 
tions. No Sunday-school teacher should be without an unabridged copy. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 199 

So much has been written upon this point in preceding 
chapters it becomes unnecessary to reconsider it here. 

To answer fully the question, How may eye-teaching ac- 
company word-teaching? we come naturally to the considera- 
tion of two divisions of eye-teaching adapted to the infant 
class, namely: 1. Object Illustrations; and, 2. Black-board 
Illustrations. 

Object Illustrations. 

There is a distinction to be made between the object lesson 
of the secular school and that of the Sabbath-school. In the 
first instance it is the aim to stimulate the observing faculties, 
and to increase general intelligence. In such lessons the fol- 
lowing points are usually considered : Names and positions of 
parts ; qualities, uses dependent upon qualities, etc. If the 
teacher should fortunately be a Christian, some of God's truth 
will be worked into the lesson ; yet it will be secondary to the 
facts concerning the object. This is as it should be in the secular 
schools, but to adopt the same method in the Sabbath -school 
would be to do a great wrong, and every thing which does 
not promulgate it has no right there. An object may indeed 
be the subject of a Sabbath-school lesson, not for the purpose 
of imparting knowledge of the object itself, but that it may be- 
come the center around which religious truth shall cluster. Tire 
differences which should be made cannot better be illustrated 
than by presenting two sketches of lessons on the same topic, 
the first designed for the secular school, the second for the 
Sabbath-school. 

Rocks. 

Parts. Surface, edges, corners, inner part. 

Qualities. Hard, cold, lasting, color, heavy, dry, 

sometimes bright, etc. 
Uses. Building houses, foundations of houses, 

walls, cellars, wells, side-walks, streets 

bridges, etc. 



200 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

Uses dependent For houses, because hard, dry, lasting, 
upon qualities, heavy, and bright. For cellars, foundations, 
and walls, because hard, dry, and lasting. 
For side-walks, bridges, and streets, because 
hard, dry, heavy, and lasting. 
Where found Under the ground. The different processes 
by man. of getting rocks out of the ground should be 

mentioned, and the term quarry given. 
Different kinds If possible, some specimens of the rough 
of rocks shown material, and carvings of the same, should 
and named. be shown. 

God the maker. Attention should be directed to the beauti- 
ful forms in which rocks appear, as mountains, 
shelving for cascades, etc., and God spoken 
of with adoration as their maker. 
The foregoing sketch would furnish material for several 
lessons suitable to children of five and six years of age. This 
is also the case with the following sketch, designed for the 
infant class of the Sabbath -school. Neither exercise should 
be conducted in the form of lectures, but catechetically. 

Rocks. 

1. Rocks are hard and dry. Let the children handle some 
pieces of rocks, and by the teacher be led to discover and 
state these two qualities. 

Then the story of God causing the hard and dry rock to 
become a fountain of waters, from w^hich thousands of people 
quenched their thirst. And an application should be made 
of the story by teaching that Christ Jesus has become the 
rock of our salvation. From him we may have eternal life, 
which is living water. Psa. xcv, 1. 

2. Rocks are lasting. Develop this fact with the children, 
by referring them to rocks they have seen which never seem 
to change, or by comparing rocks with water which either 
runs away or dries up, or with the grass and flowers which 



THKOUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 201 

fade and die. Rocks do crumble although they do not seem 
to do so. God is more lasting than the rocks. He will be 
the same forever, therefore he is called The Rock. Psa. lxii, 7. 

3. Certain kinds of birds make their homes in the rocks. Let 
the teacher illustrate this by showing a picture, and engaging 
in an easy and pleasant conversation with the children. 

We should think so much about Christ our Rock that we 
may be said to live with him. Psa. xxxi, 3. 

4. Chicrches are made of rocks. God has called his friends 
" lively stones," with which he will build a holy temple, Christ 
Jesus being the foundation stone ; that is, God will gather 
together those who love him in his heavenly home for the 
sake of his dear Son who died to redeem us. Eph. ii, 
19-21. 

With the aid of a concordance many additions might 
profitably be made to this sketch. 

Let us compare the probable thoughts of two children 
walking among rocks after having received the two series of 
lessons just given. 

The child from the secular school would try to find rocks 
like those which had been shown him at school ; according to 
the different degrees of hardness, he would decide which 
would make the best houses, streets, w^alks, etc. ; he would 
examine the marks on the rocks to discover how they had 
been gotten out of the quarry. When his feet should be hurt 
or his shoes cut by coming in contact with the rocks, he would 
think of edges and corners. It is more than probable that 
such thoughts as these would occupy him to the exclusion of 
godly meditation. 

The mind of the other child, under the same circumstances, 
instead of dwelling upon the things of earth, would be carried 
upon the ladders of s-imile up to his God. Just this result is 
the aim of the object lesson in the Sunday-school. A strong 
point has been gained when religious truth becomes thus as- 
sociated with every day experiences. Then, indeed, shall we 
dwell in the crevices of the Rock. 



202 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

There is yet another distinction to be made — now between 
the object lesson and the object illustration. An exercise may 
contain several object illustrations and still not be an object 
lesson. The subject of the object lesson is an object, and the 
aim is to so associate truth with it that at the very mention 
of its name the soul will unfold itself toward God. 

When object illustrations are used, the subject may be 
either biographical, topical, or historical; the objects being- 
used to develop the thoughts of the lesson with vividness. 
The infant class teacher should take advantage of such illus- 
trations in nearly every lesson. It would be well, if practica- 
ble, to exhibit each object mentioned in the lesson. Little 
folks, from the fact that ordinarily so little religious instruc- 
tion is given in homes, are apt to fail in some measure to 
recognize objects named by the teacher as those which they 
are accustomed to see. Considering the novelty of the time, 
place, and instruction, this should not excite wonder. How 
can the error better be corrected than by bringing the objects 
themselves where they may be seen. Truly the end sought 
dignifies the effort.* 

The aim of both the object lesson and the object illustration 
is to impress the truth; the former by association, the latter 
by assistance toward development of the lesson. 

As truth is to be associated with the object in the object 
lesson, the object itself should remain before the class during 
the entire lesson time, and the eyes of the children should 
oftentimes be directed toward it, but with the object illustra- 
tion it should be different. When the thought has been 
developed by its aid the object should be quietly laid away, 
its work has been accomplished, and to leave it longer in view 
would only detract from the impression the lesson should make 
upon the mind and heart. Intended only to throw light upon 

* The lessons following this article will be found to embody our idea of 
object illustrations. Also iu preceding pages suggestions on this point may 
be found in " Stories Represented." 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 203 

the understanding, if still retained in sight, its effect in oblit- 
erating the lesson would be somewhat like the effect of the 
sun's rays resting too long on the sensitive plate in the camera, 
which, in their power, will cover all with blackness and destroy 
the image. 

The teacher is in danger of committing several errors in 
the use of object illustrations, one of which has just been 
noted, that of retaining the object in sight when there is no 
further use for it, thus inviting the attention to wander. 

Another error is to fail in making a distinction between the 
illustration and the truth. The laughable story has been told 
of a child who had been taught to sing in the Sunday-school 
a song containing this sentiment, " Let me die with the har- 
ness on." We will not stop to criticise the appropriateness 
of the expression. Evidently the child had not been taught 
that by "harness on" was meant, in the exercise of sweet 
Christian graces, which, in language adapted to the child, 
would be, living a godly life, working for the Lord. In other 
words, the child had not been taught the spirit of the song, 
as he was heard to sing " Let me die in the harness shop." 
We called it a laughable story ; we beg leave to change the 
adjective and call it a lamentable story. Far better would it 
be never to attempt illustration than to create such mental 
confusion. We should fear that by such teaching the child 
might lose his way to heaven's shore. It is like throwing dust 
into eager young eyes that are seeking the Way of Life. Make 
an illustration practical or make none at all. Probe the minds 
with questions to test whether or not the children are able to 
make practical application of the truth which the illustration 
teaches. This should always be the last step in the use of an 
illustration. For instance, the evidences of a nearness to 
Christ might thus be taught. Require the children to touch 
some pieces of heated iron, (simply warm.) How are the 
pieces of iron ? Warm. Because they are warm, where do 
you know they have been? Near the fire. Why does fire 
make iron warm? Because there is heat in the fire. 



204 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

When Jesus was on the earth he was always loving every- 
one. Of what feeling do you think his heart was full to 
make him so ? Love. Say after me, Fire is full of heat. 
Jesus' heart is full of love. When is iron full of heat ? When 
it has been near the fire. Trying to be just like Jesus we call 
living near to him. Of what feeling is Jesus' heart full ? 
Love. What feeling will people who try to live near Jesus 
have in their hearts ? Love. Say after me, When iron has 
been near the fire it is full of heat. When people live near 
Jesus their hearts are full of love. (Lay the iron aside.) 
The love in Jesus' heart made him do some good for every 
body. How may you know when people are trying to live 
near Jesus ? When they try to do good for every body. 
Where does the iron get heat ? From the fire. Where may 
we get love enough to do good for every body? From Jesus. 
What do we call living near to Jesus ? Trying to be like 
him. You may name some one who, you think, is trying to 
live near Jesus. 

Without the emphasis given the truth in the preceding 
lesson by appealing to experience, doubtless children would 
in some indefinite way conclude that the love of Christ is a 
fire, imparting heat, or that perhaps our bodily warmth is im- 
parted by dwelling in nearness to Jesus. 

Let a teacher never be satisfied in using an illustration 
without investigating thoroughly the impression made by it 
on the minds of the children. For this reason, as well as many 
others, the practice of giving the lesson beforehand to a class 
of children comparing with those for whom the lesson is de- 
signed, is invaluable. 

Still another error in the use of an object illustration is to 
treat of it too exhaustively. It should be the aim to teach 
but one truth in each lesson, and only such attributes as are 
relevant to that truth should be considered. In the lesson 
just given upon the evidences of living near to Christ, much 
might have been said about the piece of iron ; but the only 
quality which had a bearing upon the truth of the lesson was 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 205 

heat. Consequently, heat was the only quality which was 
permitted to claim the attention of the children. The object 
illustration is valuable only so far as it aids in developing a 
thought ; beyond this, to talk of it becomes detrimental, for 
two reasons principally : 1. It exhausts the time, leaving 
little or no opportunity for the real purpose of the hour. 
2. It divides the mental forces. By introducing thoughts 
foreign to the lesson, although they may be properly suggested 
by the object, the teacher's efforts are rendered futile. In 
mental as well as in physical states, power can only be secured 
by concentration. 

The object lesson is in one sense figurative, but its right 
use should partake more of the nature of the simile than of 
the metaphor. In the simile comparison is expressed, but in 
the metaphor it must be inferred. It requires a degree of in- 
tellectual culture to understand a metaphor. An untutored, 
undeveloped mind will accept the metaphorical statement ia 
a literal sense. Credulity, that lovely characteristic of child- 
hood, only increases the dangers of metaphorical teaching. 
The child, from his very nature, will accept the exact words 
of his teacher as indisputable truth, therefore the teacher 
should be careful to let the unadorned truth make the last 
impression upon the mind. Infant class teachers are in 
danger of connecting with the object illustration Mich sub- 
lime thoughts that it will not be possible to translate them in 
a sufficiently literal sense to be comprehended by children. 
The teacher must not presume that which is clear to his un- 
derstanding may also be made so to a child. Beyond the 
usual advantage which an adult mind possesses, as a Christian 
there is an increased advantage, which is a God-given insight 
into the spiritual sense of things ; and it must not be expected 
that little children, with their comparatively weak intellects, 
and without God's converting grace in their hearts, will be 
able to understand the highest conceptions of a mature and 
divinely intensified mind. 

Apropos to this point are some remarks once made in a 



206 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

convention of Sunday-school workers which are in substance 
as follows : If a child should be perfectly familiar with the 
form and appearance of a dog, but entirely unacquainted with 
a horse, never having seen a horse nor a picture of it, what 
would be the result of some one trying to give him an idea 
of a horse by simply describing it ? If the child should be 
so gifted with the power to draw that he could place upon 
paper the conception of his mind, what would be the form of 
his ideal horse ? An animal very much resembling the dog, 
but very little like the horse. In the language of the speaker, 
" a dog with a long head." 

It is an immutable law that ideas gained through concep- 
tion must be based upon similarities. It might be urged that 
to describe differences would give a true mental picture. Con- 
ception based upon dissimilarities can at best give one but 
negative ideas. Correct images are formed in the mind 
either through the aggregate of resemblances or by observa- 
tion, therefore the teaching in arranging illustrations should 
apply these two test questions : Is my illustration related to 
the common experience of childhood? or shall I be able by 
this means to bring this truth within the range of the ob- 
serving faculties ? If neither plan is practicable, it will be safe 
to conclude that the illustration is beyond the comprehension 
of the childish intellect and is therefore not fit to be used. 
The teacher should continually imagine himself in the place 
of the child, not measuring himself to get an estimate of the 
child's powers. 

Not alone should the teacher endeavor faithfully to adjust 
the illustration to the child's understanding, but the point of 
whether or not the child has enjoyed the bit of experience 
which is proposed to be used is hardly second in importance 
to the matter of understanding. Just as a piece of white 
cloth immersed in unclean water will become soiled, so will a 
truth be impressed with the moods or states of a mind at the 
time of its reception. Thus the law of similarities should be 
applied to the affections or moral states as well. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 207 

Finally, to briefly sum up the ideas advanced upon the sub- 
ject of object illustration. The aim of the object lesson of 
the secular school is to stimulate the observing faculties and 
increase general intelligence ; whereas in the Sunday-school 
the design is to accustom the mind to habits of religious 
thought through the observing faculties. Object lessons and 
object illustrations should not be confused. In the object les- 
son the end sought is to make of the object a kind of spiritual 
magnet around which holy truths shall cluster. The object 
illustration is for the purpose of so increasing the light upon 
a certain point of truth that it can be more readily compre- 
hended. Its use should be but momentary. The fewer illus- 
trations used to illuminate our point the better. Many 
different illustrations do not increase simplicity, but rather 
produce complexity of ideas. In the object lesson, since the 
aim is to associate truth, the object should be kept before the 
class during the entire lesson. The object illustration, its use 
being merely to develop a thought, should be laid away when 
its part is done. 

The following errors are most readily committed in the 
way of object illustrations : 1. To retain the object in sight 
when its work has been accomplished. 2. To neglect to aid 
the class in making a practical discrimination between the 
illustration and the truth. 3. To endeavor to make an object 
lesson out of every object illustration. 4. To make the illus 
tration so sublime by its appeal to the spiritual apprehension 
that a child cannot grasp its significance. 

Blackboard Illustrations. 

An idea will not be checked, but struggles for expression. 
If a thought seems valuable to us, we not only desire to ex- 
press it, but we wish to give it force, that our hearers may be 
impressed with the same degree of intensity that we our- 
selves feel. The earnest Sabbath school teacher has both the 
thought to communicate and the desire to do it with force. 
A teacher of adult classes finds ready resource in the use of 



208 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

an extended vocabulary, but the infant class teacher must 
necessarily be limited to the use of few words, because young 
children have meager attainments in. language. Illustrations 
with objects and with the blackboard may happily supply this 
deficiency. Not that children shall thus be relieved from 
expressing their thoughts, but that by illustration ideas may 
be conveyed to them that through their feeble powers of 
language they could not grasp. Thus a demand for new 
terms is created. These should be given by the teacher. 
Pupils in this way are led to use language intelligently which 
at first they could not comprehend. 

The blackboard, too, gratifies the child's love of pictures, 
and they like fresh pictures too. Novelty is to them full of 
charms. To meet this desire for variety with appropriate 
cuts and engravings would prove more expensive than practi- 
cable. We do not wish to seem to underestimate the value 
of large cuts or pictures. Just here there has been a want 
long unsupplied ; until recently the only kind of pictures at 
all appropriate has been a series of English Scripture charts, 
and these were too expensive for general use. To be avail- 
able a cut should be large enough and sufficiently distinct to 
be used hanging up, or in the hand of the teacher, not having 
to be passed among the children to be seen. A series of 
sketches illustrating the Scriptures, large, distinct, and inex- 
pensive, though not rude or common, would be a valuable aid 
for some artist to give to the Sunday-school cause. 

However, no infant class should be without a blackboard. 
At first glance the matter of representation seems a formidable 
part for the teacher to perform. If we take advantage of the 
strong imaginative powers of children, we shall soon dis- 
cover that it will answer nearly as well to represent people 
and journeys, or places, by dots and lines as by elaborate 
drawings. In proof of this, let the teacher remember that a 
child at play invests an old and broken toy with all the attri- 
butes of something new and beautiful, and seemingly gets just 
as much enjoyment from it as if it were new and beautiful. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 209 

Chairs are converted into a railroad train. A journey on a 
hobby-horse is full of delights, although the horse continually 
goes but never proceeds ! Taking advantage of this peculi- 
arity of childhood, the teacher has comparatively an easy task 
to use the blackboard. 

In preceding chapters many suggestions have been made 
in regard to materials, the use of the blackboard, etc., 
which will be found just as helpful to infant class teachers 
as to those of any other grade. It becomes, therefore, quite 
unnecessary at this juncture to offer hints upon the same 
points. 

The blackboard work of the infant class may be divided 
into two classes, Pictorial Illustration and Lettering. We 
will now consider each of these divisions separately. 

Pictorial Illustration. 

It has been urged that only outlines are needed in drawing 
pictures upon the blackboard in connection with the Sunday- 
school teacher's work, that fineness of detail is not desirable, 
as it renders the picture less distinct when viewed from a 
distance. 

A Sunday-school teacher seeing the force of this argument, 
but feeling powerless to execute the telling outlines, made ap- 
plication to an artist for a course of lessons in outline drawing. 
The marvelous use Professor Agassiz makes of a few lines 
was cited as something like the power and facility desired to 
be obtained. But, alas ! it proved that the apparent simplicity 
was the touch of a master hand ! The reply was, The power 
of giving to one line the expression of many lines is the very 
highest art. Its apparent simplicity is deceiving. The be- 
ginning of such an acquirement is to be made in represent- 
ing a very simple object : for instance, a string curved in 
different wnys might be represented, first by looking at it, 
then from memory. After this an object with very simple 
outlines, such as a leaf, should be drawn in the same way, first 
from sight, then from memory. Gradually the subject of the 

14 



210 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

sketch should become more rind more complicated. After a 
short time a return should be made to simple objects to be 
outlined entirely from memory. It was nlso said that tact 
and rapid execution in outlining could not be giined by the 
mere copyist. Ruskin says the true way to learn to draw is 
not by copying pictures, but by representing objects. 

Why should not the Sabbath-school teacher be as desirous 
to draw well as he is to question well ? We are satisfied that 
in neglecting to do it great power is sacrificed. It is true, we 
have recommended the use of lines and dots, (those who 
cannot draw will find great satisfaction in this method ;) but 
it is undeniably true that outline pictures would be more en- 
joyed by the children, and for this reason produce a better 
effect than lines and dots. If the teacher attempts drawing 
at all, it should be well done. It is altogether wrong to 
violate the aesthetic tastes of children, and to associate God's 
perfect truth with that which is misshapen and deformed. 
If a teacher has not mastered the art of drawing, by beginning 
early in the week, through patient practice, he should be able 
to make one illustration in an acceptable manner. It is our 
opinion that Sunday-school teachers have hardly been suffi- 
ciently careful about the quality of their representations. It 
is a matter that demands earnest attention. 

The plan of having the drawings made beforehand has 
been advocated by many. The interest of the children in a 
picture made in their presence would be far greater than in 
one previously drawn. In one case the impression would be 
passive, in the other active. The rapid use of the crayon en- 
lists the interest of the children, and has great influence in 
fixing their attention. If the teacher's effort at the black- 
board is slow and engrossing, the magnetism of the controlling 
mind is lost. This thought is applicable as well to lettering. 

Lettering. 

In the primary department of a secular school, a teacher, 
wishing to break up the dull monotony of the reading lesson, 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 211 

conceived the idea of printing upon the blackboard original 
compositions of words contained in the reading book. The 
teacher was entirely unaccustomed to blackboard lettering. 
Distinctness and rapidity of execution were the two attain- 
ments which she sought for herself, and the skill gained in a 
short time was surprising. The sentences on the blackboard 
were read by the little ones with a delight and animation 
quite in contrast with their former plodding manner. 

The teachers of the Sunday-school infant class may make 
an application of this incident by resolving to learn to print 
rapidly, in order to put upon the blackboard short sentences 
expressive of any step or point in the lesson, or the name of 
persons or places mentioned, and the Golden Text. To re- 
quire the entire work on the blackboard to be read at the 
close of the lesson would form a good summary, thus leaving 
the truth of the lesson arranged in logical and concise state- 
ments. Through such a method the understanding would be 
helped, and the memory greatly aided. It is not likely that 
the majority of children in infant classes will be able to read 
rapidly from the blackboard ; a few will, however. These 
few, and the teacher, can guide the others along, who will 
probably read the idea of the word rather than the words 
themselves. The printed rather than the script form of the 
letters has been advised, for the reason that more children will 
be able to read the former than the latter. 

A small blackboard at home would afford the teacher many 
hours of pleasant and profitable employment. A few minutes 
devoted to practice each day would enable one to use the 
crayon with decided advantage in the Sunday-school. 

There is an attractive as well as unattractive way of doing 
almost every thing. It is so with lettering. A little variation 
in color and form will be attractive to the child, because it 
will gratify his love of variety and change. In preceding 
pages many suggestions to aid in introducing the desired 
variety will be found in Initial, Motto, and other kinds of 
lessons, which will be helpful to infant class teachers. In the 



212 THKOUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

few lessons immediately following this article directions will 
also be found for the use of the blackboard. 

We wish to present still another phase of eye-teaching, not 
in relation to object or blackboard illustrations, but the in- 
fluence of the teacher's eye upon the pupils. Has the reader 
ever experienced the unpleasant sensation of listening to a 
speaker whose glance was habitually raised above the level 
of the audience? or, perhaps, been a listener when the gaze 
of the speaker was rambling, not being fastened anywhere for 
a moment. In either case the effect was disagreeable. There 
is so much egotism in humanity that each individual must in 
some way feel himself recognized to receive definite impres- 
sions. A pre-eminently successful speaker once gave his ex- 
perience in this regard, and it was to the effect that he always 
selected two or three persons in various places in his audience 
to whom to preach his sermon. He said, "In this way I 
make each one of my hearers feel that I have something to 
say to him." There is a power in this thought which the 
Sabbath-school teacher should reduce to practice. The infant 
class teacher, particularly, should endeavor to make each little 
one feel the influence of his eye. 

In closing we cannot but express the wish that these few 
hints to infant class teachers may lead many to adopt eye- 
teaching in their work. And may the few thoughts which 
have been offered strengthen and encourage those who have 
already found eye-teaching to be an invaluable aid. 

We wish you all God-speed in your labors with the little 
ones of the fold. 

The Widow's Oil Increased. 2 Kings iv, 1-15. 

Golden Text Matt, v, 6. 

Point. Only through grace given* us by God can we live 
righteously. 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 213 

Synthetic Steps Developing the Point. 

1. By Elisha's help the widow satisfied her creditor. 

2. Through the gift of the Spirit we are enabled to please 
God. 

Method in Detail. 

First Stej). What name do we give to a woman whose hus- 
band has died ? The Bible tells us of a widow who owed 
some money to a man. She was poor. Could she pay the 
debt ? Because she had no money to give the man he said, " I 
will take your two sons and they shall be my slaves." That 
poor widow went to Elisha, a man whom God had made very 
wise, and she told him all her trouble. I will read to you 
from the Bible what Elisha and the widow said to each other. 
(2 Kings iv, 2.) What one thing had she that she might sell 
and get money? Could she have gotten enough money in 
that way to pay her debt ? No, ma'am. God helped Elisha 
to make a way for the widow to pay her debt ! You may all 
think a moment how it was done, but I shall not ask you to 
tell me. Now I will tell you. Elisha told the widow to go 
to her neighbors and borrow many empty cups and jugs, to 
set them in her house, to take her little pot of oil, and to pour 
the oil from it into the many jars. (Let the teacher take in 
her hand a small vessel of water and place several empty jars 
in sight, saying, We will try to do as the poor widow did, 
that is, to fill these many empty jars with what is in the little 
cup ; but I will use water instead of oil. Teacher pours the 
contents of the cup into one jar which is not then filled. 
Children led to observe this. How could doing so help the 
poor widow ? (Children speculate.) Would it not be very 
strange if, as fast as I should pour water out of this cup more 
should come in, itself, until there would be enough to fill all 
of these empty jars ? 

The widow did as Elisha had told her, and began to pour 
the oil from the little pot, and the oil kept coming and coming 



214 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

until the jars were full ! How would this oil help the widow 
to pay her debt? She could sell it. Who of you would like 
to hear me read the story of the widow from the Bible ? 
(This is desirable if there is time. Put the objects out of 
sight.) 

Second Step. What does God do for you ? "He gives us 
breath all the time, fruit to eat, bright flowers to see. He 
makes things grow so that we may have things to eat and 
clothes to wear." I think of something greater than these. 
He has given his dear Son to die for us, so that we can go to 
heaven. We all owe God a great debt of love. God does 
not ask us to pay him, but what kind of acts does he want us 
to give him ? Loving right acts. Listen, each child, if what 
I tell you is true. Some time you have promised yourself 
and mamma that all through the day you would not do a 
naughty act. For an hour or so you did very nicely, then you 
seemed to lose your good spirit and did wrong. All who 
think this is true may raise their hands. I think you are 
somewhat like the widow. She did not have oil enough of 
her own to fill the jugs, and you have not enough good spirit 
to fill all the days with loving right acts for God. Let the 
teacher now draw on the blackboard seven little jugs and say, 
Here is a little jug for each day in the wee*k ; let us place the 
letters for each day under them. (See chart.) Now I will 
rv-jl draw a picture of the heart 

\jf from which we are to fill each 

6F\ £\ f\ /\ F*\ fk day ' (p° intin s t0 J u s s >) ful1 
1 ll I III 1 m I II I ill § ill °^ l° vm £ right ac ts for God. 
Ill ljf Up lv lit ill (See chart.) Could the wid- 
S M T W T F S ow fill all of the empty jugs 
with only the oil she had put into her little pot ? Neither can 
we, dear ones, fill all our days with the little good spirit we may 
put into our hearts. But if we pray to God he will give us 
more and more .of the Holy Spirit until we shall be able to fill 
all our days with loving right acts. I will read you what God 
has promised about this. (Teacher, read Matt, v, 6, from 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 215 

the Bible ; print same on blackboard. Children, read it in 
concert.) 

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after 
righteousness, for they shall be filled. 

The Waters Healed. 2 Kings ii, 19-25. 

Golden Text: John iii, 16. 

Point. To teach that although Jesus came to give life to 
all, he may be made the " savor of death unto death." 

Synthetic Steps Developing the Point. 

1. According to our own acts a blessing will yield either 
joy or pain. 

2. Elisha was the cause of life to some but death to others. 

3. Unbelief in Jesus, who came to give life, will yield death. 

Method in Detail. 

First Step. (Let the teacher show some object intended to 
bring comfort or pleasure which through abuse was made to 
yield pain : For instance) : Here is a little saw ; it belongs to 
a set of tools which I gave to a dear little boy, thinking lie 
would be made very happy, but in a short time he had cut his 
finger with the saw, which caused him pain. Did the saw 
make the boy sad or glad ? Was it the fault of the saw that 
it did not make him happy ? What was the trouble ? He did 
not use the saw right. Can you remember something given to 
you to bring you pleasure which only gave you trouble, be- 
cause you did not use it right ? (Permit a few replies. Print 
on the blackboard the first two sentences of the chart, and ask 
the children to read them.) 

Second Step. You learned last Sunday about two men. 
Who can tell their names? Which was the wiser? How 
much wiser? In the country where Elisha lived the water 
in the streams had nearly dried up, and what was left became 
very bad, so that the plants would not grow. As nothing 
would grow, what would happen to the people? Some of 



216 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

the men in that country knew that Elisha had been made 
wise like Elijah, so they thought they would ask hirn to heal 
the water. Elisha told them to bring a new jug with salt in 
it ; then he went to where the waters began and threw in the 
salt, asking God to help him heal the waters, and so God did. 
After that the plants grew, and the land was beautiful and 
green. Would the people die now ? Who was the cause of 
giving them life? Elisha. Why? Because he healed the 
waters. 

Just after Elisha had healed the waters he was passing 
along the road, when many persons came out and said very 
ugly words to him. He asked God to punish them, and out of 
the woods near by God sent two bears. What do you think the 
bears would do ? Kill them. Yes, they tore in pieces forty- 
two of those bad people. Who was the cause of their death ? 
Elisha. Had he given death when he had healed the waters ? 
No, life. All say after me, Elisha gave life to some, but death 
to others. Whose fault was it that he gave death to some ? 
It was the fault of the wicked people themselves. When I 
think of Elisha giving both life and death, I think, too, of this 
little saw which will either give joy or pain according to 
the way it is used. To whom does the saw give pain ? To 
whom did Elisha give death ? 

Third Step. God sent his own dear Son into this world to 
die, that by his dying we might have a home in heaven. 
Some people do not care about this ; others say, " Jesus is our 
best friend." God has said those who do not love Jesus shall 
have sorrow and pain forever. To whom does Jesus give 
joy? What two things will this little saw give? (showing 
it.) Will it give joy or pain to yon ? Joy, if we use it right ; 
pain, if we use it wrong. What two things did Elisha give ? 
Life and death. Whose fault was it that he gave death ? 

Little ones, Jesus came into this world to give us all heav- 
enly joy; but because some people will not believe what he 
promises he gives them everlasting sorrow and pain. If you 
would get sweet joy from Jesus instead of pain, what must 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 



217 



you do ? Remember, each little child, that it rests with you 
whether Jesus will be life or death to you. (Teacher, read 
Golden Text from the Bible, print it upon the blackboard, 
and require the children to read it together.) 

Chart. 

Right use brings joy, 
Wrong use brings pain. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his only be- 
gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not 
perish, but have everlasting life. 

Accountability to God. Rom. xiv, 7-13. 
Golden Text. Rom. xiv, 12. 
Point. The judgment which each and all must receive. 

SYNTHETIC STEPS DEVELOPING THE POINT. 

1. A copy to imitate and judgment passed. 2. Living 
after Christ our copy, (a partial review.) 3. God's judgment 
upon the life lived. 

Chart. 



Loving. 
Selfish. 



Lowly. 
Proud. 



Meek. 
Revengeful 



METHOD IN DETAIL. 

First Step. Let the teacher show a page of some old copy- 
book, saying that a little boy or girl wrote it. The marks? are 
so small that you cannot see them, so I will try to make some 
just like them on the blackboard. I will first write as the 
teacher did on the line at the top of the page, which we call 
the copy. (See chart.) The little boy's ta-k was to make 



218 THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 

marks just like those his teacher had made. He made some 
like this one (first on chart.) Do you think he was sitting 
still or moving about when he made marks like this ? 

I see many marks like this one (second on chart.) Was 
the boy trying hard, or did he not care when he made such a 
mark as this one? He did not care. This mark (third on 
chart) looks much like those the teacher has made. I will 
tell you why. Sometimes his teacher would come up behind 
him, and take hold of his fingers and gently guide them. When 
the little boy had written his page full, to whom do you think 
he would have to show it ? To his teacher. I have been in 
a room where many children were writing in .their copy- 
books, and when a large bell would be rung we all had 
to put our pens down and wait for the teacher to look at our 
writings. Each mark on this page (pointing to it) has told 
its story to the teacher. How ? By its looks. When did 
the little boy show his page to the teacher ? 

Second Step, We learned several Sabbaths ago just how 
good God wants us to be. Teacher and children recite to- 
gether the Golden Text of July 21. In what way does God 
show us how perfectly good he is ? By sending his dear Son 
into this world. If, then; we w r ould try to be somewhat like 
God, whom must we have for our copy? Jesus. The more 
we do as Jesus did, the more we shall be like God. What 
was Jesus' heart full of to every body ? Love. Then he was 
loving. (Teacher, print loving,) Was he loving to the poor 
and the beggars ? What shall we say of him because he was ? 
(Print lowly.) Did he strike or harm any one who hurt 
him ? How was he, then ? Meek. (Print meek.) Let us now 
read the copy by which we must live. Instead of being 
loving to every one, we are selfish ; we are not lowly but 
proud; we are not meek, because we want to hurt those who 
hurt us ; we are not meek but revengeful. (See chart ; let the 
teacher print while talking.) Did the little boy write much 
like the copy? (pointing to blackboard.) Do we live like our 
copy ? When did the boy make the best marks ? When the 



THROUGH THE EYE TO THE HEART. 219 

teacher guided his hand. And so we shall live nearer as God 
wants us to live, if we pray for the help of the Holy Spirit. 

Third Step. When was the boy called on to show his page 
to the teacher? When we have lived all our days God will 
call us before him to tell him of our lives. Just as plainly as 
we see the marks on this page, so shall all the acts we have 
ever done be where God can see them. We said that each 
mark here tells its story about the boy, so will each act we 
have done tell its story about us to God. Every one must 
come thus before God. Here is a verse in the Bible that 
tells us so. (Teacher read the Golden Text ; afterward print 
it on the blackboard; children read,) "Every one of us shall 
give an account of himself to God." Rom. xiv, 12.* 

* The three preceding lessons have been published in the " National Sunday- 
School Teacher," in the regular course of infant class lessons arranged for 
that periodical by Miss Timanus. 



BIBLICAL INDEX. 





Genesis. 




Nehemiah. 






Daniel. 




Ch. Ver. 




Page 


Ch. Ver. 




Page 


Ch. Ver. 




Page 


1. 31 




111 


8. 10 




74 


1. 8-16 




108 


2. 10 




187 




Psalms. 




2. 31-45 




14, 1S6 


2. 16, 17 




14 


1. 1 




99, 101 


3. 13-18 




92 


3. 1-8 


88. 102, 


107, 174 


1. 4 




50 


4. 26-33 




82 


4. 3-10 




102 


5. 12 




124 


6. 4-10 




159 


9. 8-17 




181 


11. 4 




103 


12. 3 




46, 125 


12. 22 




121 


17. 15 




116 




Jonah. 




15. 1 




124 


19. 7 




165 


1. 8 




28 


22. 1-14 




14 


20. 7 




136 


4. 4-11 




14 


23. 10-22 




167, 163 


22. 25 




157 








31. 16 




77 


24. 4 




51 


Zechariah. 




39. 2 
44. 33 




96 
121 


37. 14 
61. 4 




159 

86 


9. 16 




125 


45. 1-9 




29, 140 


80. 8 




1S6 




Malachi. 




47. 5-10 




137 


84. 11 




124 


4. 2 




140 


Exodus. 

12. 11-15 

13. 17 

14. 9, 19-22, 27 
1\ 26 


112 
59 
136 

72 


90. 14 
119. 105 

Proverbs. 
4. 18, 19 


116 

34 

144 


1. 21 

2. 1-10 

3. 13-17 


Matthew. 
74, 85 


118 

159, 174 

154 


17. 8-15 
32. 

Leviticus. 
19. 12 


173 
136 

96 


7. 17 
18. 6 
23. 29 
23. 32 




118 

30 

SS 

175, 176 


4. 1-11 
5. 

5. 14 

6. 5-15 




107 

16 

17. 159 

91,94 


19. 16 




96 


Ecclefdastes. 




6. 25-34 


18, 81, 


37, 38, 53 




Numbers. 




12. 1-7 




24, 149 


6. 33 




85,100 


lo. 46-50. 
21. 9 

Di 

6. 5 
27. 9-19 

7. 1 
2. 9 




139 

86 

123 
134 

179 

81 




Isaiah. 




7. 1-6 

7. 7 




111 

85 


uteronomy 

Joshua. 
Ruth. 


1. 18 31, 54 

1. 25 
11. 6 
26. 4 
32. 2 
64. 6 

Jeremiah. 


, 55, 126 
50 
73 
72 
71 
52 


7. 12 
7. 13 
9. 1-8 

10. 1-15 

11. 1-11 
11. 19 
11. 25-80 
13. 24-30 




171 

17 

118 

28 

101, 110 

119 

115, 127 

53 

140 

23, 100 

90 


I Samuel, 
16. 11 

IKings. 


86 


1. 11 
13. 1-11 

18. 1-6 




13 
14 
14 


13! 81, 32 
14. 15-21 
14. 22-55 




17. 1-7 




141 


19. 1-11 




14 


14. 25 




104 
23 


17. 8-24 




141 


24. 8 




13 


15] 82-39 




13. 21-40 




142 


27. 1-11 




14 


17. 1-8 




15, 114 


18. 41-46 




142 


43. 8-10 




14 


18. 1-6 




30 
111 


19. 9-18 




142 


51. 63, 64 




14 


18. 21 




22. 11, 84, 85 


48 




Ezekiel. 




19. 13-22 




118, 165 








1. 16 




1S7 


21. S-16 




103, 117 




II Kings. 




1. 23 




136 


21. 19-22 




14 


2. 19-25 




215 


2. 9 




135 


21. 33 




147 


4. 1 




212 


4. 1-8 




14 


22. 37 




123 


5. 1-7 




66 


5. 




14 


25. 1 




140 


5. 16 




94 


8. 8 




135 


26. 6-25 




179 


5. 20 

77 Chronicle* 


179 


37. 1-14 

38. 15-28 




14 

14 


27. 45-54 


I 33,106, 112, 
•^ IIS, 119, 120, 


6. 40-42 




83 


47. 1-12 




14, 186 




1 121, 


139, 140 



BIBLICAL INDEX. 



221 



Ch. Ver. 




Page 


Ch 


Ver. 




] 


Page 




Ephesians. 




28. 1-8 




10, 74, 119 


4. 


36 






81 


Ch. Ver 




Page 


28. 16-20 




162 


5. 


39 






105 


5. 16 




163, 169 




Mark. 




7. 


40,46 






106 


6. 16 




124 


5. 1-20 




140 


8. 


12 






159 




Philippians 




5. 36 




75 


10. 


7 






179 


3. 14 




125 


7. 85-44 




23 


11. 


11 






119 


4. 8 




96 


8. 6 




23 


14. 


23 






154 




I Timothy. 




10. 27 




52 


14. 


26 






85 


2. 5 




139 


11. 5 




103 


15. 


1-10 




52, 


139 


6. 10 




145 


11. 21 




14 


15. 


15 






119 




II Timothy. 




12. 80, 33 




123 


17. 


4 






105 


4. 8 




125 


16. 1 


Luke. 


10 


1. 


8 


Acts. 




184 




Hebrews. 




2. 47 




104 


2. 


37 






115 


4. 13-16 


178 


3. 17 




50 


5, 


1 






179 


6. 19 




122 


7. 11-17 




135 


7, 


60 






112 


10. 23 


James. 


113 


7. 14 




75 


8. 


26-40 






138 






7. 18-23 




101 


9-14. 




130 


131 


1. 12 




125 


8. 50 




5 


9. 


1-10 




59 


,130 


2. 23 




119 


9. 13 




23 


9. 


6 






112 


3. 8 




52 


9. 51 




107 


10. 


9 






13 




I Peter. 




9. 62 




162 


12. 


6 






113 


1. 19 




118 


10. 25-87 




23 


16, 


30 




115, 15S 


2. 7 




118 


10. 27 




123 


17. 


22-31 




23 


,161 


5. 4 




125 


11. 




75 


21. 


10,11 






20 




II Peter. 




11. 5-13 




109 




Romans. 






1. 4 




118, 126 


12. 6,7 




17 


1. 


16 






139 


1. 5-9 25, 2C 


, 99, 163 


12. 24 




17, 86 


2, 


4 






74 








12. 37 




86 


5. 


3-5 






168 




I John. 




13. 6-9 




78 


12, 


1-18 


67 


162 


,163 


1. 7 


51 


, 73, 148 


14. 11 




82 


13, 


8-14 






123 


2. 1 




122, 139 


15. 11-32 


f 26, 83, 85, 163, 
\ 165, 170 


14, 
15, 


7-13 
1-7 






217 
66 


3. 2 

3. 8 


34. 72, 76, 112 
106 


17. 11-19 

18. 9-14 




150 
110 


1. 
1. 
3, 
9, 
13. 


IC 
1 

12 
22 
25 


orinthian8. 


23 

115 
103 
125 
150 


1. 8 


Bevelation. 


183 


19. 1-10 




62 






1. 13-18 


112, 157 


22. 31 
24. 1 
24. 27 


John. 


50 

10 

183 


108, 111, 


100 
138 


2. 4 

2. 10 

3. 8 
3. 11 


79, 


138, 170 

125, 159 

179 

125 


1. 9 




82 




II Corinthians. 




8. 12 




57, 172 


2. 5 




71 


1, 


20 






54 


3. 20 




179 


2. 13-17 




14, 103 


6, 


2 






38 


4. 3 




181, 186 


8. 14 




20, 70, 86 


9, 


7 






105 


7. 9-17 


67, 188 


8. 16 




166 


12 


5,10 






119 


7. 15 




112 


4. 4-26 




116, 184 




Galatians. 






20. 12 




151-153 


4.13,14 




56, 186 


6.14 






119 


22. 19, 20 


189 



ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 



Aaron and Christ 139. 

Abraham's sacrifice, 121. 

Abuses of the blackboard, 63. 

Allegories, 23. 

Anchor to the soul, 122. 

Apostles, their characteristics, 23; symbols 

of them, 187. 
Artists and the Sunday-school, 21. 
Attraction of Christ, 52. 

Baptism, of Christ, 154; symbolized, 1S7. 

Bethabara, 133. 

Bible, and object lessons, 12, 13, 19 ; searched, 
105; as a iighthouse. 164; and blackboard 
exercises, 14, 65 ; study of, 82 ; its unity, 
84; one in Christ, 166, 183 ; compared with 
other books. 170. 

Blessings for the good, 9S, 99, 157. 

Blood of Christ, 73, 115, 148. 

Body, as a house, 24, 149 ; compared with the 
soul, 112. 

Book of Life, 151-153. 

Cain. 102. 

Charity, 111. 

Childhood easily impressed, 46. 

Childlike Christians, 30. 

Cueist, presented to the heart, 9 ; his use of 
visible illustrations, 14 ; baptized, 77 ; em- 
blems of, 81; with the doctors, 91, 103; 
risen. 119 ; a friend, 119 ; his life, 120, 168 ; 
in earth and heaven, 112 ; his pre-eminence, 
110, 114; receiving our love, 117; his mir- 
acles, 101, 110; his words, 106; his work, 
106 ; his crucifixion, 106, 112, 118-121 ; bids 
us follow him. 107: his temptation, 107; 
the Light, the Wav, the Door, 109, 179 ; 
working like the father, 110; his birth, 
174 ; in all the Scriptures and in all time, 
183; his glory, 157. 

Christians the light of the world, 16. 

Christmas, S5. 

Church symbolized, 186. 

Clean hands, 51. 

Cleansing the temple, 14. 

Colors, of chalk, 70 ; symbolism of, 189. 

Conscience and the old clock, 38. 

Contention, 30. 

Conversion most important, 164. 

Conspiracy, 159. 

Coming to Christ, 165. 

Commissions for all, 76. 

Corinthians, epistles and architecture, 23. 

Courage of young men, 92. 



Cross, 33, 118-121, 138-140. 
Crown of life, 125, 159. 
Cup of blessings, 57. 

Daniel, 108. 

David, 86. 

Death, our triumph over, 56, 140, 168, 172. 

Decision for eternity, 38 ; between God and 

Satan, 50. 
Dedication, 83. 
Delaying to do right, 180. 
Description, vivid, 23. 
Divisions in the Church, 115. 
Door to happiness and heaven, 179. 
Doubt of Thomas, 24. 
Duty always done, 66, 71. 

Ear Gate and Eye Gate, 10, 11. 

Easter morning, 119. 

Eden, 107. 

Elijah, 141,142. 

Eternity, 1SS. 

Evangelists, 187. 

Eve, 102. 

Faith a shield, 123, 158, 169. 

Faithful servant, 86. 

Fatherhood of God, 91, 92, 104. 

Feeding the multitudes, 23, 100. 

Fig-tree withered, 14. 

Flood, 1S1. 

Flowers bring us near to God, 31, 38. 

Forget-me-not, 37. 

Forgiveness, 31, 111. 

Friends of God. 81. 

Friendship of God, 119. 

Galilee, sea of, 133. 

Gates, narrow and broad, 17, 86. 

Gifts, allegorical, for children, 25; to God, 
79, 105. 

Glory of Jesus, 157. 

God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, sym- 
bolized, 185, 1S6. 

Golden rule, 171. 

Good Samaritan, 23. 

Handwriting on the wall, 11. 

Happiness of doing right, 38, 39, 156. 

Harvest, 78, 81. 

Healing, 72. 

Hearts, pure, (object lesson.) 51 ; the tables 
on which God writes his law, 123; God's 
look at. Ill; God's temples, 103; God's 
vineyard, 147; made right, 150. 



ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 



223 



Heaven, the key to, 34; its joys, 67, 76, 84; 

how reached, 167; its symbol, 1S5. 
Help for one another, QQ. 
Hope an anchor, 122. 
Hypocrites, 45. 

Immortality, 56. 

Incompatibility, 1S8. 

Infant class, 83, 141, and- Appendix, 193. 

Infidelity and death, 173. 

Jerusalem in outline, 142. 

Jesus first and last at Sunday-school, 10; 

"Jesus only, 11 166, 170. See also Cheist. 
Jonah's voyage, 23. 
Joseph and the wagons, 10; letter to his 

father, 29 ; and Judah, 121 ; and Christ, 

140. 
Journeys of the Israelites and of Paul, 59 ; 

of Jesus, 86. 
Justified by faith, 178. 

Keys as object lessons, 11. 

Ladders to heaven and hell, 167. 

Leaf, withered, 52. 

Lepers. 150. 

Life from the cradle to the coffin, 137, 186. 

Light of Christ and his people, 159. 

'• Likes " of the teacher, 12. 

Likeness to God, 72 ; to Christ, 112. 

Lilies, IS, 46, 53. 

Little things, 54, 157. 

Living water, 56, 140. 

Loaves and fishes, 24, 100. 

Looking back, 162. 

Lord's Supper, 1S7. 

Love, lost, 13S; of God, 166; lacking, 170. 

Loving and serving, 77, 79. 

Magi and the star. 174. 

Maiien Martyr, 95. 

Manliness, 99, 103. 

Map teaching, 5S; lecture, 53; drawing, 123. 

Mary at the sepulcher, 10. 

Mars 1 Hill, 23. 

Memorizing, 194. 

Mistakes in teaching. 48, 49, 140, 141. 

Money, love of, 145, 147. 

Monument of the Christian, 172 ; of victory, 

173. 
Mountains of the Bible, 160. 

Nain, widow of, 135. 

Name of Christ on our hearts, 162. 

Nearness of God. 33, 73. 

New Years. 82, 117, 151. 

Note-books, 27. 

Novel reading, 42. 

Object teaching, 40. 
Observation and reflection, 193. 
Offending God's little ones, 111. 
Omnipresence, 73. 
Overcoming, 153. 
Outline exercises, 137. 

Palestine, 55, 128-135. 



Paradise, 1S6. 

Passover, 112. 

Paths of life. 137, 144, 145. 

Paul, his journeys, 130-132. 

Persecutions, 119. 

Peter, contrasts in his life, 113. 

Pharisee and publican, 110. 

Philip and the eunuch, 133. 

Philosophical bearings of eye-teaching, 11. 

Picture-teaching, 60. 

Prayer, power of, 54 ; the Lord's, 91. 

Preparation of the lesson, 81. 

Pride and ruin. 32, 110. 

Prodigal son. 26, 29, 85, 163, 165. 

Promises and the "key of promise, 11 11, 44, 
126; signed by Jesus 1 name, 44; condi- 
tional, 113; precious, 113; as milestones, 
128; as mountains, 160. 

Prosperity of the good, 100. 

Purification of the Church, 14. 

Eainbow of Noah and of heaven, 181. 
Kaising the dead, 75. 
Ravens, God's care of, 17. 
Reasonable service, 67. 
Reckoning, time of, 53. 
Redemption God's greatest work, 77; by the 
Saviour and the Spirit, S5 ; by the cross, 

Renewed in Christ, 54. 

Rest, 71, 111, 127. 

Resurrection taught by flowers and seeds, 

10 ; svmbolized, 1S3. 
Revelations of God, 76. 
Review of David's life, S6 ; of Christ's, 120. 
Revival, 77. 
Rich young man, 165. 
Richie's and the " needle's eye, 11 17; of the 

Christian, 103. 
Ritualism, 116. 
Rock, Christ as a. 155. 
Room for Christ, 149. 
Rosary of the Christian, 162. 

Satan. 106, 107; and the Saviour, 174. 

Sanctity, 187. 

Satisfaction. 116. 163. 

Saul, like Christ. 112; his conversion, 130. 

Saved from death. 112 ; bv grace, 115 ; by the 

blood of Christ 115. 
Scholar, the model, 91. 
Scriptural bearings of eye-teaching, 13. 
Secretary and the blackboard, 63, 74. 
Seeking Christ, S5. 
Senses used in Sunday-school, 10-12. 
Sermon on the mount, its eye-teaching, 16, 
Serpent in the wilderness, 86. 
Shield of faith, 124. 
Ship of the Gospel, 160. 
Sin and sorrow, 74. 
Skepticism, 109. 
Slates, use of, 62. 
Solomon and Christ, 83. 
Soul and body, 112. 
Sower, parable of the, 77. 
Sparrows, 17. 
Spirituality in worship, 15, 
Star in the East, 159. 



224 



ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 



Steps to ruin, 176. 

Stephen like Christ, 112. 

Stories vividly told, 26 ; represented, 29. 

Strawberry plant, 33. 

Sun of Righteousness, 77. 

Sunshine, making, 79. 

Success, 93. 

Symbols of early Church, 185. 

Talents, 23. 

Teachers, six rules for, S7 : orbit, 137. 

Temperance, 39, 78, 8S-91, 108, 175, 176. 

Temple, cleansed, 14, 103 ; of the heart, 162. 

Temptation, 88, 107. 

Thanksgiving day, 74 

Themes for eye-teaching, 22. 

Time passing, 163. 

Tongue, 52, 96. 

Transfiguration, 15, 114, 

Tree, withered fig, 14. 

Trinity, 1S5, 186. 

Trumpet of the Gospel. 262. 

Trust, 72, 86, 113, 136. 



Unity of Christians, 167. 
Universe, 185. 
Unknown God, 161. 

Victory, 188. 
Vine, 52. 

Virtues as allegorical statues, 26 ; as rounds 
of a ladder, 168. 

"Wandering from duty, 136. 
Watch -care of Providence, 17. 
Watches, 44, 49, 50. 
Watchfulness, 104. 
Watch-night, 163. 
Wickedness, gradual, 101, 102. 
Woman of Samaria, 134. 
Work and rest, 111 ; lovingly, 105t 
Worship, 116. 

Yoke of Christ, 127. 
Young men, 92. 

Zaccheus, 62. 







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